


Scales and Hooves

by HappinessIsBeyondMyLevel



Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Romantic Soulmates, dragon/unicorn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:47:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 43,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25953184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappinessIsBeyondMyLevel/pseuds/HappinessIsBeyondMyLevel
Summary: Molten is a college student who works as a DJ and on a small radio station. He never intended on meeting his 'chosen' so early in life...But that all changed when he left his parents house after his spoilt younger brother got in a fight with them. He came across a unicorn--for some reason--in dragon territory.And instinct drove him to do the most unbelievable thing any drake or dragon could do...WARNING: Strong language and mature content
Relationships: Molten Flarescales/Zion Lindsay Baird Zirnen
Kudos: 3





	1. Notes on Wyrmia and Roania

**I'm afraid AO3 doesn't let me insert images so I can't show you the map I made for this story. But an image can be found[here](https://www.wattpad.com/930478980-scales-and-hooves-bxb-unicorn-x-dragon-notes-on).** ****

**So here are some notes on _Roania_ and _Wyrmia_**

**Seas**

**-** _Steed's Sea_ (North)

 **-** _Calm Expanse_ (West/Roania only)

 **-** _The Cobalt Gulf_ (East/Wyrmia only)

 **-** _The Epway Gulf_ (South)

**Volcano**

**-** _Mount Asraine_

**Roania**

**-** _It is one complete kingdom. Its native population are unicorns, pegasi and ponies._

 **-** _The capital of Roania is Askal._

_**-** Askal is Roania's most north-easterly city._

_**-** Askal is known for its wealth, mostly housing the rich and famous, the Royal Family being among its residents._

**-** _Throughout history it was a hotspot for merchants, who used to trade with dragons, as Askal's sprawl was (and still is) near to the border._

 **-** _The Taunto River flows through it, into the Steed's sea._

 **-** _Saburn is south of Askal. It was known for blacksmiths, metalworking and jewellery._

_**-** Froln is Roania's centre city. Historically, it was the only place in Roania where people could study arts and theatre. It was filled with theatres and was the only city to hold plays, concerts and celebrity parties._

_**-** Agogend is Roania's most north-western city. Traditionally it was used to to train the defence force of Roania. It has some of the oldest and biggest barracks that housed and trained soldiers throughout the Roania-Wyrmia War._

_**-** Alostead is in the south-west of Roania. It is known for training mages and magicians._

**Wyrmia**

_**-** Is a kingdom made of five states; Shovania, Xospein, Spoania, Acrana & Skey. Its native population are dragons and drakes._

_**-** Shovania is one of the smaller states in Wyrmia._

_**-** Shovania is the most northern-easterly state of the five and is right on the Wyrmia-Roania border._

_**-** Within the state is a city also named Shovania.Just outside this city is where Molten grew up._

_**-** In the past it was known its entertainment industry and still is, being filled with theatres, music arenas and television and movie studios._

_**-** Because it is right on the border, it was also known for its transport links between Roania (mainly Askal) and Wyrmia, entertaining merchants that came through._

_**-** Acrana is east of Shovania._

_**-** Acrana is very mountainous and is used for training Wyrmia's defence forces._

_**-** Xospien is the largest state in Wyrmia. It is east and south of Shovania._

_**-** It is sometimes referred to as the "Main State" because the capital of Wyrmia is in it; Andomond._

_**-** Andomond houses the royal family of Wyrmia._

_**-** Historically, Xospein was known for its wealth and its training of mages._

_**-** Spaonia is south-east of Xospein._

_**-** It is Wyrmia's most southernly state, and it makes up most of The Living Bay._

_**-** Spoania was a merchant's paradise, full of metal, diamond and coal mines, perfect for making jewellery._

_**-** To this day most jewellery in Wyrmia comes from there,_

_**-** Its major city is Trita, a city right on the sea, only the wealthiest of dragons and drakes can afford a shopping trip there (nevermind staying there for a weekend or even living there)._

_**-** Every five years Trita holds a large music festival, on its beach, called Beached Souls._

_**-** Skey is east of Spoania._

_**-** Skey is known for its architecture and skyscrapers._

_**-** Its largest city, Caulby, is right on the sea and looks similar to Hong Kong and Dubai._

**History of the two lands**

**-** _Since the beginning of time, Roania and Wyrmia have been close. Originally there were no borders, only territory, but the species' mixed (not reproductively). Back then, dragons thought they could kill unicorns, pegasi and their not so magical relatives, ponies, but they soon realised that was a mistake. Unicorns could use their magic in many ways, and they used their magic to attack. Dragons and drakes soon made peace with their equine neighbours._

_**-** Centuries later and unicorn mage fell in love with a dragoness. And for years he worked on a spell that would give leviathan's and equines two alternative forms; a human-like form, and an anthropomorphic form. And for centuries, they lived with these forms. Dragonlings no longer came from eggs, and both equines and leviathans did not need to rely on their magic, and so magic among both species' grew weaker and less common among newborns._

_**-** But centuries later, war broke out. An exhausted dragon crash-landed into a Roanian village on her way to meet family in the kingdom, as both species sometimes lived in their opposite kingdoms. Though Roania thought this was an attack and its (last) bitter king declared war on Wyrmia. Every leviathan in Roania was driven to the east and Equines in Wyrmia were driven to the west. The war lasted five years, taking many lives, including the last King of Roania, two of his sons and the king of Wyrmia. the current King of Roania, King Arryn ended the war with a treaty, stating that the Mount Asraine River (a river of lava) would be seen as the border between the two kingdoms._

**-** _Most of the residents of both kingdoms feel as though the war was unnecessary and regret the divide between the kingdoms. Of course, some feel it was_ _necessary_ _and are happy with the divide._


	2. Ch. 1 Befriended

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having an argument with his brother, Molten tries to clear his head with a walk. While doing so, he comes across someone who's not supposed to be here.

_**15 years since the end of the war** _

Molten Flarescales was wandering through the forest near his home in his human form. His black leather jacket, white t-shirt, and skinny jeans went well with his slightly tanned skin, black loosely curled long hair. Narrow white curved horns protruded from his dark locks, and sharp canines that pierced his bottom lip.

He wasn’t trying to do or find anything: he was just trying to clear his head. His brother—Blaze—had argued with him yet again after he had stayed up late last night after a party and lay in, sleeping through the weekly family dinner. So, Molten was just trying to clear his head, after making it clear to his brother he was lucky to have his parents provided him with not just a house, but his energy drinks—which would soon be taken away from him—and whatever else he ‘needed’. He himself had been DJ-ing at the same party, so he was still feeling a little light-headed and tired, but at least he’d showed up, helped to prepare the meal and brought his dam the wine she liked.

The twenty-year-old always wondered how his parents could put up with Blaze and his obnoxious personality daily. Molten could barely tolerate him after living with him for sixteen years.

Molten shook his head and listened.

He could hear the water lapping the jetty at Lakeside—the vacant property his grandparents owed—as he walked. He didn’t live far from here, as he had walked from the cottage he rented to the forest. The woods itself was webbed with trails so it wasn’t rare to hear, see or smell other dragons nearby. As he was about to enter a bright clearing, he smelt another dragon or drake nearby, along with something else. Something he had never smelt before.

He slowed his pace and peered around the tree in front of him. His sky-blue eyes widened. Before him was a white unicorn with a blonde mane and tail, a blue spiralling horn and some multicoloured stripes on his back, similar to a tiger’s. Molten could make out his gender pretty easily. He was slender, with a short mane and a narrow trail that had a little poof of blond hair at the end. He was dozing by a tree, all tucked up and snoozing quietly.

He was scared for the unicorn as some leviathans would not let him stay in such a peaceful state nor let him cross back as easily as he had come in—however that was. But after his fear came curiosity; _Why was he here? How did he get here? Could he really use magic? How does it work? What’s with his stripes?_

Then a _snap_ caught his attention. A twig underfoot if he wasn’t mistaken; the other leviathan was close. In his human or anthropomorphic form, his eyesight wasn’t as good as when he was in his beast form. He quickly changed to his beast form, a cobalt drake with a black underbelly, white horns and small, black bony plates on his neck, back, and tail finished with a black spade on the tip of his tail.

He used his acute eyesight to scan through the trees to his right, the direction he felt the other dragon in. The emerald green dragon was in a pouncing stance, ready to leap for the colt, to scare and probably scar him, before bringing him to the attention of other nearby leviathan’s, especially the state police force. Since the war between both species; the one that has divided the land in two—Roania: the land of the unicorns, pegasi and alicorns, and Wyrmia: the land of the dragons and drakes—they would be very hostile to their guest.

Molten—for some reason—felt protective of the unicorn and growled. He got ready to pounce also, but for a different reason.

The colt raised his head and the emerald dragon glided over the bushes in front of him, claws outstretched. Molten then jumped himself, aiming for the dragon’s cheek, tearing it. He left three jagged ridges on the green dragon’s face as he hit him off course. The distinctive navy blood of a reptilian oozing out of the wound Molten had caused as he landed on his side with a _thump_.

The dragon gathered his thoughts and got onto his feet, looking straight at Molten, his pupils narrow, scowling at Molten. He released a low growl and glanced back at the unicorn. Molten growled back at him and he edged back. He turned around and sulked his way back behind the trees.

Molten let out a satisfied snort, a small plume of smoke leaving his nostrils. His thinned pupils were focused on where the green dragon had been a mere few moments before. He turned his head around—relaxing his pupils to their usual shape—to the colt. He was now in his human form, sitting against a tree, shaken by the sudden commotion.

Molten shifted back to his own human form and slipped his headphones back down onto his shoulders. He then sat cross-legged a few feet from the colt, a technique used by dragon parents to get their dragonets to talk about something personal. He stayed quiet. He swept the tips of his fringe out from his shadow space, above his right eye to get a better view of the colt; his skin was paler than Molten’s; he had curly blond hair with some covering his forehead and icy blue eyes. He had a silvery blue diamond on his forehead, to signify where his horn should have been His clothes were basic, a plain white shirt and faded jeans. Molten couldn’t help but admit that he found the colt attractive.

Molten sat cross-legged for several minutes before the colt found his voice. “W-what do you w-want?” he stuttered. He sounded well-spoken, even with those few frightened words.

Molten sighed, disappointed, and stood up. “Nothing, I guess” he turned around. _I should’ve known._ He cursed himself for being so stupid into thinking a unicorn would give a dragon a chance. He started on his way.

The colt swallowed hard and rushed to his feet. “Wait!” he called. Molten turned his head, surprised, and raised an eyebrow. “Thank you,” he said with a bow of his head, “for saving me.”

Molten turned around fully to face him. His nose was level with the colt’s eye in his human form. “You’re welcome,” he said, holding his hand out to shake. “I’m Molten”

The colt looked at his hand and hesitantly put his pale hand in Molten’s. “Zion.” Molten held his hand lightly and gave it a gentle shake.

Molten stood back a step. “So, why—or rather how—are you in dragon territory?” he asked.

Zion looked at him. “I’m not sure,” he said honestly, shifting his gaze from Molten, shrugging slightly.

“What do you m—?”

“I started to walk around,” he said, cutting Molten off, “I was taking a different route from my home near the border. I somehow crossed the border and kept walking. It was only until I felt a shift in the amount of magic around me I realised I was outside of Roania.” He paused. “I thought if I stayed away from towns and cities, no one would see or find me... Guess I was wrong,” he shrugged with a smile.

Molten chuckled. “Yeah”

Zion laughed. Molten felt heat rush to his cheeks.

Molten looked around. “We better go, in case he tells someone and brings them here,” He said. Zion tilted his head at him, and Molten took his wrist and led him away, through the lush forest.

“Hey,” Zion said in surprise. Molten let go of his wrist and Zion held it in his own.

“Sorry... I just—“

“Wanted to make sure I followed?” Molten nodded in response. “Listen, Molten, I have no idea where I am and I need somewhere to hide until it’s safe. And seeing as you stopped that green guy from killing me—or whatever he was going to do—I guess I should trust you...” he lowered his voice, “and I have a good feeling about you.”

Molten couldn’t help but notice the same good feeling Zion had mumbled. He felt like he’d met him before. But that was impossible since he was a child when the war had ended.

Molten looked down. “I could take you back to my home. It’s not far?” He offered. Zion thought for a moment.

“I don’t think I have much of a choice. I am a fugitive.”

Molten smiled and snorted with amusement. _At least he has a good sense of humour_.

“Why did you—um—do what you did back there?” Zion asked softly. “I didn’t think dragons liked us after what we accused you of.” He looked around at the greenery closely.

“The older generation probably wouldn’t like you, but younger dragons are willing to try to help—some are, anyway. I personally, feel like we were robbed of getting to see Roania,” Molten cleared his throat. He had only ever seen photos of its artwork, pretty cities and its amazing architecture, though he’d always wanted to see it in person.

“Feeling’s mutual,” Zion said. “And older people can be pretty eccentric, from my experience.”

Molten laughed as they emerged onto a path by a main road. He sighed. “Sorry, I forgot about this. I don’t suppose you can create illusions with your magic? Or turn yourself invisible?”

Zion shook his head. “I’m not that good, so invisibility is off the list.” He studied Molten. “I could hide my _magic star_ , but I can’t grow fangs or horns.”

Molten thought. “Not all leviathans have horns in their human forms, and fangs usually aren’t as prominent as mine.” he lifted his upper lip with his finger and lowered it again. “Either way, anyone passing by will be driving, like, fifty K.” Zion shrugged and chanted something in a language Molten had never heard before. A few moments later Zion touched his brow and a gold ring circled the diamond and it soon faded to the colour of Zion’s brow.

“Impressive,” Molten said. More questions built up in his mind; _What was that language? What did you say? Do you have to speak in that language to cast a spell? Do you have to speak to access your magic?_

But he pushed them aside for now. Zion looked at him. “It’s nothing, just a simple cover-up spell.” He shrugged. “So, where do we go from here?”

Molten led him away from the forest, towards a city that Zion could see above the trees.

“Where exactly do you live?” Zion asked slowly. It worried him that Molten may live in the city.

“Outside of Shovania City,” Molten replied.

“Right. and no one will see me?”

“No, not a soul. I don’t have any housemates; for now.” Zion relaxed a little and kept walking.

It took them the better part of half an hour to get to Molten’s home. It was a small two-bedroom bungalow—according to Molten—with a converted attic and a short drive into the house. A parked up silver Audi A4 sat in the drive. _Expensive,_ Zion thought to himself. Molten unlocked the door and waited for Zion to come in as he eyed the car.

“Don’t you dare. I work very hard to maintain it.” He said. Zion looked from the car to him and walked into the house. As he passed, Molten glanced at his ass.

Zion was met with a dark oak floor, a hot press, a corridor down to the left and an oak door to the right.

Zion took a few steps forward. “I expected something dull and cold, not something so... homely.”

Molten walked forward. “Yeah, dragons have almost completely given up on living in caves. And does who do, renovate them. Or we just live in a nice warm house.” He said with a smile. He opened the oak door beside Zion, which led into a living room-come-kitchen area.

“Not bad” Zion commented. A red-tinted dark leather suite was in front of him, with a TV and fireplace beside him. The kitchen was off to Zions left, at the back of the house, looking out at a small garden. oak cupboards lined the small kitchen. Sunlight poured through the low window behind the sofa, lighting up the soft yellow walls.

“Cosy,” Zion mused. Molten left the room through another door, which led to a utility room from what Zion could see. He heard a fridge door open and the clinking of glass bottles. Zion noticed a soft green and white striped blanket on the back of the couch and felt it, it was soft. So soft he considered wrapping himself up in it like a blanket burrito and laying there... But in a stranger’s house? Not even he was that trusting—even if he was the one who had crossed the border.

Molten came back out with two green bottles. And opened one on the kitchen counter. “Beer?” he asked, not even looking over his shoulder.

“Isn’t it a little early?” Zion questioned. The clock on Molten’s wall said it was only three in the evening.

“Heh, we’ve both had a weird day,” Molten said as he opened the other one and handed it to Zion.

***-*-*-***

Molten woke up in the middle of the night, still sitting on the couch in his living room. Both Zion and he had fallen asleep, losing control of their human forms. Molten was an anthropomorphic drake, while Zion was an anthropomorphic unicorn. Blue light from the TV lit up the room.

Zion’s head was on Molten’s shoulder, his horn barely missing the drake’s face.

Molten now had blue and black scales; white horns poked out through his black hair; his blue and black tail curled down by his leg. His anthropomorphic form stretched his clothes to their max, showing his pectoral muscles, abs and muscled arms and legs through the stretched fabric.

He reached over the back of the couch, pulling the soft, green and white striped throw onto his lap. He carefully placed the blanket on himself and Zion. He then yawned, turned off the TV and fell back asleep.

It had been a strange day.


	3. Ch. 2 DJs and Discos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten takes Zion to one of his gigs, to show him the difference between Roania and Wyrmia's music taste.

When Molten woke the next morning, Zion was still asleep; his breathing light and evenly paced. He felt guilty lifting Zion’s head off his shoulder, feeling the contact with his clothes and Zion’s warm fur disappear. He slowly and quietly lifted the throw from his body and doubled it on to Zion’s. He edged off the couch and inched over to the kitchen, trying not to hit the wooden coffee table, couch or Zion with his thick, scaly tail.

The wooden floor gave way to stone tiles as he walked over, feeling the difference in texture as he strode over barefoot. He felt cheerful this morning. He wasn’t sure why though as he reached for the lever on the toaster. He opened the press with mugs and bowls in it.

A yawn came from the other side of the room. Molten looked over in mid-reach for a mug. Zion had woken up and was moving towards the kitchen part of the room.

“Hey,” said Zion. He smacked his lips twice and walked closer, heading for the table. Molten noticed that he now had a case of bedhead, his blond curls messy and out of shape.

Molten turned back towards the press and placed the mug on the counter. As he poured coffee from the coffee pot into the mug he asked, “Do you want some coffee?”

Zion hesitated. “Eh... If it’s going, sure”

After filling another mug, Molten slid it onto the table, then placed the sugar bowl and milk on the table beside it. Zion sat down and put a splash of milk into the hot brown liquid and took a sip. “I had a bet you didn’t take sugar,” Molten said, putting the sugar bowl back in the press.

Zion let out a light chuckle. “Thanks... For the compliment, I mean” he said, turning a light shade of pink under his white coat. Molten lifted his mug to cover his smile and shrugged.

 _Innocent bean,_ he thought to himself. He dropped his mug and swallowed his smile.

After a while of silence, Zion said, “I’ll be out from under your feet by this evening.”

Molten put down his mug. “No, you won’t.” Zion looked up, surprised. “I’m gonna treat you to something while you’re on this side of the border,” he said, pointing to the ground.

“And that would be?” Zion asked, raising a brow.

“Music.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see” Molten turned around, washing out his mug.

***-*-*-***

Zion’s ears ached. He’d never been in such a loud hall before. He stood on the side of the stage, in his human form with his magic star hidden, dressed in a light blue, buttoned shirt—which was stained with several dark sweat patches from the heat—and faded ripped jeans, curtsy to Molten.

Or rather, _DJ Molten_.

He stood behind a turntable, in his anthropomorphic drake form, his swirling, tattoo-like patterns on his arms and along the sides of his albs—which Zion could see through his black, neon skull t-shirt—blue glow shifted up and down as the music beat did on their spectrum. Behind him the words “DJ Molten” were written in the same blue as the glowing patterns on his arms, only it was fire, and Molten had it under control; it clung to the wooden board a few feet behind him, but it burned nothing. The only conclusion Zion came to was that dragons had their own magic.

But then Zion was brought back to Molten’s body. He admired his physique: his muscular arms, his bulging pecs, his firm looking abs, his nice thighs, his fine ass... It made his heart race and his stomach giddy. He was satisfied with the fact Molten was focused on the crowd and not him, otherwise, he would have noticed Zion’s lingering eyes. He had headphones just behind his horns and a pair of blue-tinted shades covering his eyes, with DJ Molten written in flame-like font on each of the glasses’ arms. He was sure he’d seen that same writing on his twin sister’s, Mona’s, posters and on some albums she collected, but he couldn’t be sure.

Roania didn’t have this music. It was usually techno, classical, or songs that sounded like they were from three decades previous. This pop, hip-hop, rock-pop and everything else differed from what was popular in Roania. Unless it was Mona who had learned how to beat the system and get this music.

Just as Zion stopped thinking about the logo, the music died and Molten took off his headphones. He dropped them on the turntable in front of him. The crowd—being his crowd—knew this was his way of saying that his job behind the turntable was done. A mixture of satisfaction and disappointment rippled through the crowd as he walked offstage and extinguished his logo from the board behind. Before the lights faded from above, Zion noticed that there were no burn marks on the wooden board.

He moved aside as Molten passed him, his scales glistened with sweat as he walked passed the colt, his breathing was fast and laboured as he tried to catch his breath and recover from the adrenaline. As Molten passed, Zion saw that he now stood below his shoulder, unlike how when they were both in their human forms, Zion was only an inch shorter. He stayed close to him as he walked backstage to collect the money he was due for entertaining the crowd for two-and-a-half hours.

Zion overheard part of the conversation between Molten and the owner of the venue: “Not a bad turnout for this time of year, aye Molten?” Said the owner, his voice told Zion he was quite older than Molten.

“I suppose so,” Molten said, clearing his throat at the end and flicking through the wad of cash in his hand.

The owner looked around Molten’s shoulder, towards Zion, who was leaned against the wall close behind Molten. “He your new boyfriend?” He asked. Molten turned to glance at Zion. “Not that it’s my business. He just sticks close to ya, that’s all. And I’ve never seen you bring anyone along.”

Molten shrugged it off. “He’s just a friend I wanted to bring along” he lied. He bid the venue owner goodnight before turning away and walking towards Zion. He then led him out the side door and into the chilly night. He shifted back to his human form—his shirt fitting loosely on his torso now—and unlocked his Audi A4.

When Zion sat in the passenger seat he asked, “Did you mean what you said?” Molten looked at him, finally calm from the ordeal. “That I’m a friend you wanted to bring along?”

Molten shrugged. “I wanted to bring you along and I consider you a friend” he shrugged. He reached for his shades and took one last scan of Zion’s body before taking them off and turning on the headlights. _Not that I wouldn’t mind if you were more than just a friend,_ he thought.


	4. Ch. 3 Chosen Ones (M)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Molten and Zion have come back hot and sweat from Molten's gig. And they're about to become something else too...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !NSFW Chapter!

Zion and Molten entered Molten’s house, still in their human forms. Molten flicked on the lights. The bright golden light illuminated the front hall so fast that Zion had to cover his eyes as excess liquid flooded to them. When his eyes adjusted, he walked into the living room. Molten strolled in behind him, his vision still adjusting to the new level of brightness. He closed his eyes for a moment and opened them, then he flicked on his living room lights.

Zion undid his illusion glamour. His back, arms, and chest all felt damp from the heat in the cramped disco hall. He turned around and now saw that parts of Molten’s black t-shirt were darker than the rest: a thick streak down the back, patches by his armpits and around his neck, and a streak between his pecs. He clenched his jaw.

“So, where do you put your laundry?” Zion asked, undoing the top button of his shirt, trying to look at Molten for too long.

Molten turned around to face him, seeing how his sweat made the shirt cling to his fit body. His eyes seemed to focus on it for a second longer than they should have. “I’ll get it from you when I find you some—“ Zion slipped off his shirt. His sweat coated skin glistened as it caught the light. Molten took a quick scan of his torso. “—thing else for you to wear...” he finished slowly.

Heat rose to his cheeks.

Zion handed the shirt over to Molten and noticed the pink colour on his cheeks. He lowered his arm sightly. “What is it?”

Molten bit the inside of his cheek. “Nothing,” his eyes—without consent—scanned his body one more time. He wasn’t lined with muscle but he wasn’t unfit or too skinny either, he was just right.

Zion looked down at his chest. A sheepish blush appeared on his cheeks. Molten’s feet moved forward, bringing him closer to the colt. Zion looked up. Their faces were less than an inch apart. Their breath tickled each other’s skin, blue eyes locked together.

Zion’s eyes closed softly and Molten leaned in. Their lips touched. Molten cupped Zion’s cheek, Zion placed a hand on his neck as they kissed passionately.

Then something sparked.

_The sound of water lapping up against the wooden posts of the jetty tickled Zion’s ears. Molten held his scaly arm around Zion’s waist as they both looked out at the water. He nuzzled his hair to get his attention, before spinning him around, as if they were dancing, to face him. Zion looked up at him and looked at him to say he wanted to tell him something. Molten leaned his ear close to his mouth..._

They broke apart softly. They had shared the same vision from the future; one that told them they were meant to be together. Chosen ones, soulmates, two people destined to be together; there were many ways to say it.

They shifted to their anthropomorphic forms at the same time. Molten took Zion’s hand and led him to his bedroom.

It was a small bedroom, barely able to fit a double bed, built-in wardrobe and a bedside table. The bed was tucked into a corner, its leather headboard in under the window on the opposite wall.

They stopped by the door. Zion slid his hand from the side of Molten’s stomach up on to his bulging pec, his heart pounding with excitement. Molten cupped Zion’s cheek, and flicked on the light, as he ran his thumb over Molten’s nipple, enjoying the firm feeling of his pec. Molten slipped his forefingers under Zion’s jeans, tugging his waist closer to him. Being bigger than Zion, he felt it would suit that he was the more dominant of the two. He slipped off his black t-shirt, Zion placed both hands on Molten’s firm pecs. He licked one of his nipples, making Molten shiver.

Zion ran his hands down Molten’s sides, digging his thumbs between the waist of his black chinos and his blue scales. Molten grinned at Zion’s eagerness. He got on his knees, licking the drake’s well-toned albs as he moved down. He tugged on the waist of the chinos as he took in a long draught of Molten’s scent through the fabric.

Zion looked up at the drake. His eyes burned with lust. Molten let out a quiet chuckle; Zion’s expression resembled that of a well-trained puppy that wanted permission to play with a new toy.

“Go on,” Molten said, running his fingers through his blonde mane. A cheeky smile grew on his face. He undid the button and opened the zip on the chinos, allowing them to fall on the floor. He gripped the back of his briefs, brought his hands to the front, and yanked down the cloth, allowing Molten’s long, black member and sack to fall free.

His heart rate doubled in that second. He placed his hand around the 8-inch member. He licked from base to tip, enjoying the taste of the scales and the smell of his scent. It differed from what he was used to, but he liked it. Molten let out a pleasant moan, playing with Zion’s ear, twirling it.

Zion’s blue horn glowed gold. As it did so, several rings of gold magic formed around the length of Molten’s member, instantly forming pressure around his cock. Zion sucked on his tip and moved the rings towards the tip, all moving simultaneously. Molten gasped at the sensation it gave him. Zion moved his hands to the back of Molten’s legs, sliding them smoothly up and down, finding his sensitive spots.

Soon pre-cum spilled from both Zion and Molten. Molten let out moans of ecstasy as Zion sucked harder, his heart and lungs racing.

“Wait!” Molten blurted. Zion’s magic rings paused their movement, Molten’s tip on his tongue as he looked up—open-mouthed—at the drake. Molten reached for Zion’s curved horn and pulled him up. “Come here,” he ordered, getting him to his feet.

He kissed him passionately as he manoeuvred Zion toward the double bed, all the while undoing his belt and trousers as they walked. Just as Zion had removed his underwear, Molten, and he landed on the bed, their boners rubbing off each other. Molten’s hands were positioned by Zion’s shoulders on the duvet. He stayed there, drawing in breath for a moment. Zion placed a hand on his neck. “Do it,” he said in a whisper so quiet Molten barely heard. He replied with a sharp jerk of his head.

Zion scrambled up to the top of the bed and lay on his stomach. Molten stayed on his hands and knees above Zion and rubbed his cock in between Zion’s cheeks and moved his tail out of the way. Zion let out a surprised whiney as Molten moved forward, keeping his cock tightly between Zion’s cheeks. Zion looked over his shoulder. “What’s taking you so long?” He complained, looking over his shoulder.

“Just enjoying the view,” Molten replied, cockily. “I love your cute little butt. I could just cum all over it.”

Zion snorted and rolled over, quickly, on to this back and pulled Molten’s face close to his. He separated his legs and brought his member towards his hole, rubbing the tip against it, teasing it. “I want you to do this _properly_ , Molten, My Chosen One,” he demanded.

Molten looked back at him and pecked him on the lips. “As you wish,” he said, in a smug tone. He reached over to the bedside table and pulled out a small bottle of lubricant. He put some on his fingertips and lubed up Zion’s hole. He pushed two fingers into him slowly. He was tight, almost untouched. _He hasn’t bottomed much,_ Molten thought to himself.

Zion grit his teeth and moaned. He had never bottomed before. He tried to remain calm, but he had had no one inside him before.

Molten looked up at him, pulling out his fingers so only his first knuckle was inside him. “Relax, I’ll wait until you’re ready,” he kissed his thigh. Zion focused on breathing. Molten’s words were reassuring, but he felt bad for how rough he was with the other colts he slept with, how he never considered lubing them up or fingering them before fucking them.

Slowly, Molten stretched him out. Zion released sweet whimpers and moans for him as he eased him into getting wider. He sucked on his member as he tended to him, his whole pink member fitting in his maw. Zion ran his hand through his long dark locks in response. A few times his fingertips brushed his prostate, which yielded some promising results, like buckling legs and sharp cries.

Finally, Molten deemed Zion was ready for him. He rose, letting Zion’s oozing member fall onto his stomach and removing his fingers from him. He crawled up to Zion to capture his lips. He lowered his waist to his member, pressed against Zion’s.

“Are you ready?” He whispered. Zion looked down at where they touched.

“Yeah,” he breathed. Molten moved so that his head was poking Zion’s hole. He pressed himself into him. They both moaned as the head went in. Molten pushed the rest of his cock in, Zion gasped as he stretched around it all.

“Fuck. You’re tight!” Molten grunted. He waited a few moments before moving. He sucked on Zion’s neck and pulled himself partially out of Zion. Zion moaned and wrapped his legs around his waist. He then tightened his grip when he slid back in. He whined loudly as he stretched him even more and abused his delicate prostate.

Zion gripped Molten’s scales, and he moved inside of him, leaving faint scratches on his blue scales. He kept his legs wrapped around Molten’s waist, keeping close to him. molten kept his body low, nipping at Zion’s neck and kissing his lips. He whispered to Zion about how well he was doing and how good he felt, and Zion responded with similar compliments.

Zion could feel semen rush to his tip as Molten kept his pace. Molten was near his climax as well.

“Molten” he whined, “I-I’m gonna—“

“Not yet,” he whispered back. He got two more strokes in before grunting back; “Together.” He gritted his teeth and pressed his forehead against Zion’s. Cum splattered on both their chests as Zion released. Molten released with a low groan. He stayed kneeling above Zion for a few moments before taking himself out of Zion slowly, a layer of semen on his member.

Molten looked at Zion’s exhausted, panting form below him. He smiled and pressed foreheads with him again. He kissed Zion again and got a kiss back. Molten laid down beside him, stroking his curly locks and they looked at each other, before drifting off to sleep.


	5. Ch. 4 Past and Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now knowing that they are destined to be together; Molten and Zion learn more about each other.

Molten strolled down the corridor from his bedroom to the living room-kitchen. His bare, scaly feet made quiet suction noises as each one left the icy floor. A loose pair of navy pyjama trousers hung on his hips as he walked. He let out a loud yawn, scratching his sack and flicking on the kettle once he reached the kitchen-dining area.

He leaned back on the counter, remembering how Zion grabbed him as they enjoyed their night together. He let out a happy sigh before being brought back to reality by the sound of the kettle switching itself off. He turned around and grabbed a mug from the press in front of him. After throwing some coffee granules into the mug, he heard the faint sound of hoofbeats coming down from his room he had just come from. Zion’s pale figure came into the kitchen, wrapped in Molten’s fluffy, grey dressing-gown—which he was sure he lost deep in his wardrobe some months ago—obviously it was no longer lost.

“Mornin’,” Molten said, closing the fridge. He went back to his coffee, taking his first sip as he rummaged around in his press for some breakfast.

Zion made his way over to Molten, cuddling him from behind. He nuzzled his nape, the tips of his mane tickled the back of the drake’s neck. He settled there as Molten took another sip.

Molten turned around, putting his mug down and transferring Zion’s head onto his bare chest. “Cuddly in the morning, aren’t you?” He noted, moving aside some of Zion’s messy hair.

Zion tightened his hold on Molten around the lower part of his chest, nuzzled in between his pecs, resting his head nicely there. He let out a tired moan and murmured, “Destiny”

Molten looked down at him, surprised. “You saw the vision too?” He thought only leviathans got visions.

Zion looked up at him, his icy blue eyes locking with his sky blue ones. “I just didn’t expect it would be with a dragon,” he pecked him on the lips.

“ _Drake._ ” He corrected, “Not dragon. Only _I_ can call myself a dragon”

Zion chuckled deep in his throat. “Sorry, _drake_ ,” he took Molten’s mug from behind and took a quick, cheeky sip, before walking towards the kitchen table.

***-*-*-***

Molten scrolled through his Tumblr dashboard, sat at the kitchen table with Zion sitting across from him, both dressed in Molten’s clothes. His phone vibrated what seemed to feel like every 10 seconds—though it wasn’t. He ignored each text message, Snapchat and WhatsApp that came in on his phone that were all from the same person, Ricky, his classmate and boss at the radio station he worked for. Each message said various versions of _Where the fuck are you?_

Zion drummed his fingers on the wooden table, bored, his chin in his palm. He glanced over the flimsy, black cover of Molten’s cheap Huawei phone00 knock-off, seeing him scroll past several posts that he should have liked but wasn’t paying much attention to. He took his eyes off the screen and looked around, to the photos on the walls and then back to himself.

“Molten?” He asked softly.

“Hmm?” He replied, not taking his eyes off the screen. When Zion didn’t respond, he looked up, seeing the stern expression on his face. He turned off the screen and placed it face down on the table. “Go on.”

Zion let out a slow breath. “How much do you know about unicorns?” He asked, dead serious.

Molten thought to himself for a moment. “Not much,” he said, honestly but sheepishly, shifting back into his chair.

After a few moments, Zion asked: “Then what _do_ you know?” He moved closer to the table, leaning on it once again.

He breathed out and adjusted himself in his seat. “Just the history between the two lands, not much else.”

Zion nodded his head gently.

Molten thought to himself. He had so much to ask Zion. He thought back to their meeting, about what he had noticed.

“So, what’s with your markings?” He asked. “Do all unicorns have them? Is it like a sign of magic, like mine?” He made his marking glow beneath his t-shirt.

Zion looked down. “No, not all of us have them, and it’s not really a magic thing either,” he said, looking up at Molten. He absentmindedly touched his back.

“Then what is it?”

“It’s a sign of royal lineage,” Zion said in a low voice.

“So... King Arryn is...?”

“My sire.” They both fell silent. Zion waited for Molten’s reaction nervously. His face stayed blank.

Then finally he said, “So, you’re telling me,” Molten started, Zion looked up at him, surprised but appreciative that he had spoken first, “I’ve fucked a prince?” He said, half-jokingly, half-honesty.

Zion snorted in amusement. “You’re not the first. I’m no virgin.”

Molten chuckled. “Should’ve guessed.”

Another heavy silence fell on the room. Then one question came to Molten: “Why _are_ you in Wyrmia?” He said, lowering his hands onto the table.

Zion looked up at him and hesitantly answered; “As a prince, I’m not really able to marry a man: _two_ kings ruling _one_ kingdom—not a thing,” he paused, Molten listened quietly. “I... My sire listened in on me with another colt. The next day he confronted me and... I left. I just walked and walked until a reached some old, rickety fence, I climbed over it. After a few miles, I noticed the lack of magic around me, I put two and two together to figure out that fence was one of the very few land borders... Apart from the one that’s the river of lava.” he let out a light chuckle and sighed, maybe he hadn’t been _completely_ honest, but most of it was true. “As I said—“

“—If you stayed away from cities and towns, no one would find you,” Molten said.

Zion nodded. “And then I met you... _chosen one_ ,” he placed his hand on top of Molten’s. He stayed quiet again, as the drake looked back at him, unsure how to respond. He exhaled slowly. “And what about you?” He said, eager to turn the conversation away from him.

“Well,” he started, “I have an older sister, Firestrike, and a younger brother, Blaze. There’s a year between Firestrike and I and two between myself and Firestrike. When Firestrike was seventeen—I was sixteen—she was raped... Ten months later my niece, Ember, was born and not so long after that, I moved out.” He looked down. “I’ve worked since I was sixteen, at first part-time, after I left school, it was pretty much three jobs at once.

“One place I worked, just before I started college, was a nationwide scale radio station, that is nearby. I used to just hand in scripts n’ stuff to the different radio hosts. One day both of the presenters of a show got caught in traffic. There was no one around to fill in the show, and I had already started DJ-ing in local halls, so they kinda just threw me in for the first 40 minutes. A few weeks later I’m starting college and I get asked to join the crew at DRDR and presenting a show with my best friend.”

“DRDR?” Zion asked, raising his brow.

“It’s the name of the local radio station,” Molten said, leaning back towards Zion and the table.

Zion pointed to the phone facing down the table, “Is that what all the messages are about?”

Molten nodded, and the room fell silent once more. “What about you? Any siblings?” He asked, jerking his head to him.

He let out a slight chuckle. “Four sisters,” he said, “I’m in the middle of them all. There’s Lika, the oldest of us all, a fashionista; Mona, she loves music—I think I remember seeing your logo on some albums or posters in her room.” Molten grinned. “Then there’s Kate, she loves fandoms—from anime to books to video games, she’s into them all, and a fellow gay—one of us has to like girls, right?” He joked, then his mood changed completely. “And then there’s Sarabi, named after our dam... She passed away a few months after she was born.” He fell silent.

Molten put his hand on his. Zion let a small smile form on his lips. Molten placed his feet firmly on the ground and leaned forward, cupping Zion’s cheek and kissing him.

***-*-*-***

“So, how are you gonna get home?” Molten asked, switching off the TV. The duo sat on his red-tinted leather couch, Molten’s arm behind Zion on the back of the couch.

Zion shrugged. “I’ll figure it out,” He said, and added on in a muttered tone, “I’ll have to”

Molten felt uneasy, unsatisfied with the answer given.


	6. Ch. 5 the walk to Roania

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten decides to walk Zion to Roania, so he doesn't get hunted down by his sire.

Zion's hooves, calves and back ached. He walked by Molten, both in their anthropomorphic forms, a light bag of essentials on both their backs. He wasn't used to walking such long distances, probably because cars existed.

"You okay?" Molten asked, looking down at the colt who stood under his shoulder.

"Yeah," he sighed, "Just not used to walking much." He said, focusing on the route ahead. They had started their journey a few hours ago and were nearing the border. Zion had never realised how far he had walked a few days prior.

"Guess I must have been distracted when I left home. So distracted, I didn't even realise the aches of walking," Zion thought aloud, filling the silence.

Molten nodded, "We could stop if you want?" He offered, already stopping in his stride.

Zion shrugged. "Sure." _to lengthen the time I have left with you,_ he thought as the word came out.

A satisfied smile grew on Molten's face and let the bag on his back slide to the ground.

***-*-*-***

"There's Aries, my sign," Zion said, pointing to the constellation. Molten lay by Zion on flattened grass, looking up at the twinkling stars in the dark heavens above. Zion raised his hand from behind his head and pointed to the sky just left of Molten's head. "And that one's Leo," he said, and returned his arm back to where it was before.

Molten looked from the stars to Zion. "Like me: a Leo" he said, both joking and stating a fact. "How do you know so much about stars?"

Zion's shoulders made a shrugging motion. "I studied astronomy while my sisters chose subjects like history or politics or fashion." His gaze lowered. "I don't think it thrilled father to hear about my chosen subject."

Molten moved his gaze back to the stars. "I see," he heard Zion shift on the grass.

"What is it?" Zion asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

"It's just—" he cut himself off, figuring out how to say what he felt. "We know so little about each other... And we're meant to be together... But we can't... And we're not gonna be together for much longer... " he stopped talking, unsure what else to say.

Zion sat up fully. "Yeah, I know." He said, swallowing hard. Molten sat up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Zion ignored the gesture and stood up. "We should get back," he said, "before foxes steal our expensive snacks," he joked, fighting off the emotion that was swelling inside of him, building up like a storm.

He turned around, beginning to walk back to their gear, Molten rushed to his feet and quickly caught up, his grey sneakers flattening the grass as he jogged after the colt.

Zion looked straight on, staring into the darkness ahead. He had a slight limp in his stride. Molten noticed this and moved in front of Zion, stopping in his tracks. He let out an unimpressed, horse-like snort, his ears pressed down against mane to emphasise the point.

"Hop on," he said, bending at the knees. Zion looked at him, unsure. Molten sniggered, "What? Does the short prince need a stool to get on mighty the drake's back?" He teased.

Zion collected his composure and jumped up, getting his arms around Molten's neck. He tucked his legs into Molten's sides, Molten put his hands under Zion's thighs, keeping hold of him. Molten grinned to himself, proud of what he had achieved, and boosted Zion into a better position on his back.

The colt settled his head on the curve of Molten's neck. Molten liked the closeness he felt, having his mate so relaxed on his back. He walked in a different direction, following his extensive range, predatory hearing, towards the sound of moving water. He found a slow-moving stream to be the source of the gurgling.

He stood by the stream for a moment, enjoying the music for himself. Zion groaned tiredly, "What are we doing?" He croaked, raising his head slightly and opening his eyes, seeing the blurry image of the stream ahead.

"Shh," Molten soothed, pecking Zion's forehead. "Relax, let me handle it." He lowered his head down onto Molten's shoulder, his body falling limp once more.

Molten walked parallel to the stream, keeping hold of Zion on his back, hoping the stream would soothe Zion back to sleep. And soon enough it did.

***-*-*-***

The following day, they continued on their journey to the border. Zion walked closely behind Molten, his legs not as sore as the day before. They didn't speak to each other; there didn't seem to be anything to say.

They had left about an hour before when the silhouette of an old, rickety, rotting fence came to view.

They stopped a few feet in front of it. Molten raised a brow, wondering how this was part of the border.

"Well," Zion sighed sadly, "this is it" he faced his mate. Molten took off his bag and faced him.

He forced a sad smile and took Zion's hands in his. Zion kept his head low and took his hand away from Molten's.

Molten swallowed back a lump in his throat as Zion's touch left his. He watched as he moved towards the fence and, without consent, his legs propelled him after Zion—he didn't seem to notice Molten following him.

As they clambered over the fence, it surprised Molten that the fence held his weight, not even bending or buckling as he climbed over it. As his feet touched the grass on the other side of the fence, his scales itched. _Magic_.

He moved closer to Zion. The feeling of so much magic around him irritated him, making him uneasy.

Then, to make matters worse, he felt a shift in the magic. A shift that sent panic through his entire body. He quickly shifted to his four-legged drake form.

Zion turned around. "Molten?"

The drake moved closer to him, his head low, his lips separated in a fierce snarl, ready to defend his mate, no matter the cost.

A red light formed among the trees to his right. He focused on it and growled a blood chilling growl. There was a rustle in the trees to his left. Then his left side seared with pain, causing him to collapse to the ground. The last thing he heard and saw was Zion call his name, a golden orb floating in his hand.


	7. Ch. 6 Waking Up In a New Land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten wakes up after his strange welcoming comity and gets to meet someone very soon after arriving.

Molten opened his eyes and blinked a few times as they adjusted to the bright light that seemed to emanate from his right-hand side. Once his vision was clear of the haziness, he looked around, taking in his surroundings; he lay on his back in his anthropomorphic form, a light sheet covering him up to his chest. Above him was a gathering of crimson curtain-like fabric—that he presumed hung from the ceiling—brought together in the centre, wrinkles and folds adding shadows onto it. He turned his focus towards the walls, which were painted the same shade of ruby red throughout. He then turned his head to where the light was coming from. A few feet from the end of the king-sized bed and to the right of it, were two large glass double doors, which—Molten presumed—led out to a balcony of some sort.

He drew in a long breath and attempted to sit up. Pain ripped through him—from the base of his neck to the back of his head. He straightened himself as best he could. The sheet fell from his abdomen down onto his lap, revealing the bare scales of his muscled chest and stomach—not his black sports vest he had been wearing before he’d been knocked unconscious.

He figured that he hadn’t been out for long, seeing as his mouth wasn’t dry and his stomach wasn’t empty—which was a first on his part. Once he had finished thinking and gathering his thoughts, he looked up, only now noticing the male unicorn standing with his back to the bed, facing a dressing table. He was dressed in a blue suit jacket with tails, a neckerchief and suit trousers. _Formal,_ Molten noted.

Molten shifted a bit, moving his tail into a more comfortable position, and pushed aside his headache as best he could. “Zion?” He asked, confused.

The colt turned around, revealing that it was Zion at the end of the bed. He walked over to the side of the bed, only the sound of his muffled hoofbeats on the grey carpet making noise, and sat on the bed. Molten stayed quiet, unsure of what to do or say.

Zion placed a hand on his, touched his cheek with the other and kissed him passionately. Molten’s eyes closed heavily and he let out a loving moan. He put his spare hand on the back of Zion’s neck, enjoying the moment no matter how groggy he may be.

Zion broke away softly. “I wasn’t sure what damage the magic did to you,” he said, rubbing his thumb against his cheek. He took his hand off Molten’s and moved it to the side of his scaley stomach, just beside the faint outline of the swirling pattern he had. “They hurt you pretty bad. It took a lot of encouragement—and threats,” he muttered, “but I got some healers to fix the damage.” He looked from where to wound had been to Molten’s eyes.

Molten smiled a soft smile and moved his hand from Zion’s hair to his cheek. “Thank you,” he pecked him on the lips. “Did they hurt you?” He asked firmly.

Zion shook his head. “They wouldn’t hurt the heir to the throne,” he said with an air of humour. He turned to the bedside table in front of him. On it was a roll, butter, jam and various pieces of fruit on a plate and in a bowl. Beside it was was a glass and jug of water.

Frome the small bowl of fruit, Zion took a handful of grapes, took one between his index finger and thumb and placed it near Molten’s lips. The drake gave him a look, but opened his mouth, allowing Zion to proceed.

Zion did this twice over before Molten said, “I can feed myself, y’know,” he propped himself up against the headboard.

“I know,” Zion replied, “but you’re not objecting to it.” As Molten took the last grape in his mouth, Zion slipped his thumb in between his lips. Molten held the digit there, lightly sucking on it, only to get a satisfied grin from Zion. He slid his thumb out of his mouth and let him enjoy the rest of his meal in peace.

Molten finished soon after. They both stayed quiet for a while.

“Your family and the Queen of Wyrmia are here,” Zion said, looking at the door directly opposite the double door to the balcony, that led out into the hall.

Molten moved the plate from his lap and on to the duvet beside him. “Where is _here_?” He asked, swinging his clothed legs over the side of the bed, sitting by Zion.

“Askal City, the capital of Roania” he answered, still focused on the door. Molten placed his hand behind him, leaning on the bed. “They’re discussing the border,” he said, sitting back against Molten’s arm. “I had to tell him everything,” he said heavily, resting his head on Molten’s shoulder. He undid his neckerchief and placed the cloth on the bed. “That’s why I’m all dressed up.”

Molten kissed his head. “We’ll be all right. I’m sure they’ll understand.”

Zion sat up straight and looked at Molten. He opened his mouth to talk, only to be cut off by the sound of a sudden burst of the door swinging open suddenly. They looked at the door, a cream unicorn mare with straight blonde hair, dressed in a cobalt tee and black skinny jeans. On her head she wore a pair of blue-tinted sunglasses, their shape and the thickness of their arms—seeing as his merch shades were based on his own—along with the fact that they were sliding down onto her forehead, told Molten they were his.

Zion stood up, but before he could speak, the mare let out an excited squeal. “Oh, my Gods!” She gasped, focused on Molten. “Kate wasn’t joking.” She blurted. She grabbed Zion by his upper arms. “How did you meet this _legend?_ ”

Molten stifled an embarrassed laugh and stood up. Zion gave her a disinterested look, while Molten moved closer to the duo. He could tell by just looking at the two they were siblings.

“Didn’t I tell you _not_ to come in until I said you could?” He half asked, half demanded.

The mare stayed quiet.

“Aw, c’mon Zion,” Molten said, putting a hand on his shoulder, hoping to not only calm him but get an explanation of which one of his sisters she was. He turned to the mare. “Are those my shades?” He asked. As if to prove his belief that they were his, they fell on to her face.

She took them off, a slight hint of disappointment on her face, and handed them to him. As he took them in his hand she asked, “Are you really the DJ?” She asked.

He tilted his head from side to side, as if to say _yes_ without admitting it.

She let out another excited squeal, then cut herself off after noticing he was topless. She spun to Zion. “How did you meet him? I’ve hoped for years to meet him, and _you_ got to before me!” She exclaimed ferociously, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him closer to her, their foreheads touching.

Zion looked to Molten out of the corner of his eye, pushed himself away from the mare, and sighed. “Get the others and we’ll meet you in the games room.”

She giggled excitedly, spun around and ran out of the room. “Lika! Kate! Sarabi!” She called.

Zion shook his head and turned around, heading for the seat at the end of the bed. “Sorry about Mona,” Zion said, grabbing Molten’s vest from the chair and tossing it to him. “Hope you wanted to meet all of them at once,” he said, heading for the door.


	8. Ch. 7 Meet the Families (pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Zion has dragged Molten away from his sisters, only to run into Molten's.

After spending over an hour answering questions for three of the princesses—Mona said nothing, she just continued to stare at Molten, making him rather uncomfortable—Zion made his excuses to spend alone with Molten. They were walking from the games room—as the five siblings called it—down the corridor Zion’s room was on. The soft-lit passage was as comforting as it was unsettling for Molten because the wall-mounted lights were lit with a spell—he could feel magic radiate from each one.

 _Your family and the Queen of the Dragons are here_. The words came to Molten’s attention soon after they had left the games room. Where in the castle were they? And by _family,_ was it just his parents or were Firestrike and Blaze here also?

As if to answer his questions, the door, just ahead of them, opened. Out of the room strolled a young drake, about four years old. She had sky blue scales and fair hair down to her shoulders; small, white, rounded horns poked through the thin layer of hair, already beginning to curl down by her face like ram horns. She was dressed in a pair of striped black and white leggings and a grey, star-scattered tee. She shifted her gaze to the couple, her soft turquoise eyes looking up at them.

Molten squatted down as a feminine voice called out from inside the room she had come from, “Ember?”

Molten winked at the dragonet who giggled amusingly. The sound of her laughter was music to Zion’s ears. A dragoness came to the doorway and stood there, an almost white shade of grey was her main scale colour, the same sky blue scales as the dragonet as her underbelly colour, which ran down the front of her neck and down on to her chest, viewable because of the off the shoulder top she wore. She didn’t look like the typical dam of a four-year-old.

The dragonet didn’t seem to notice her mother in the doorway and moved towards Molten, wrapping her small arms around his neck. “Hi uncle,” she chirped and let go.

Molten rustled her hair a bit, getting a disapproving look from the young drake. He then reached into the back of his jeans, getting a Werther’s toffee out of the pocket. The dragonet held out her hand, slightly cupped, and he placed the toffee in it. “For you, Miss Ember,” he said in a complimentary, childish way.

Ember smiled a satisfied smile and walked back into the room. Once she felt the dragonet was out of earshot, her dam moved a step closer to Molten. He stood up as she stopped less than a foot from him.

Molten’s tail twitched with tension.

Then, finally, she spoke. “Why do you always have an exciting life?” She said with a hint of envy.

Molten let out a loud sigh of relief. “ _Firestrike_ , I thought you were gonna beat my ass or somethin’.”

Firestrike let out a hearty, amused laugh. “Yeah, cos that’s somethin’ I’d do.”

Molten chuckled and put his hand behind Zion, and with his spare hand gestured to Firestrike. “Zion, meet my sister Firestrike.” He looked from him to her in a gesturing way. “Firestrike, meet Zion,” he looked from her to him, “my chosen one.”

Zion was surprised—but he hid it well—that Molten was so open about them being _chosen ones,_ but was happy that he acknowledged the title. Then he remembered what Molten had said when they had first met; how younger generations wanted to see Roania.

Firestrike showed a clear look of shock at the words _chosen ones_. Her gaze dropped for a moment; she was thinking.

Molten felt his heart drop. A wave of unease came over him. He absentmindedly dug his nails into Zion’s side, causing a feeling of mild discomfort for him.

“That... Actually explains,” she started calmly, “why the _fuck_ you crossed the border!” Her tone was now teasingly childish and accusing, as she punched him on the shoulder in a sibling way.

Molten held up his hands. “Guilty as charged.”

After she had laughed off her surprise, she turned to Zion. “So, where’s the kitchen? I’m starvin’,” she asked, sounding ravenous as she said the words. The dragonet in the bedroom heard the word _kitchen_ and ran towards her dam.

Zion smiled. “I know somewhere better,” the four of them started down the hall. Molten noticed Ember was right beside him and hoisted her onto his shoulders.

“Up ya go, Ember,” he said as he raised her up.

Zion led them to the dining room, using the _main_ flight of stairs which led down to the entrance the royal family used to avoid unwanted attention. Each time Molten dropped a step on the staircase, Ember would let out little bursts of giggles. It made Zion smile the entire way down.

At the end of the stairs stood an anthropomorphic drake with the same cobalt scales as Molten, with tight dark hair, which age had added on several strands of silver too. He was in a black buttoned shirt and dark jeans. He was still fit, despite what his hair and face said about his age. Zion guessed he was about as old as his own sire.

Molten stopped on the second last step and took Ember off his shoulders. He saw a look of concern in Firestrike’s eyes. He gave her a reassuring look back and got on his haunches. “Go get something to eat,” he said to Embert softly. Firestrike took her hand and walked off toward the room Zion had directed them to on the way down.

As Molten got off the stairs, he pecked Zion on the cheek and whispered, “I’ll see you in a few,”

“I’ll try to save you a spot with your family,” he replied, returning the kiss and heading off towards the dining room, his hoofbeats echoing through the hall on the black and white tiled floor.

Molten let out a slow breath as he got off the stairs. He turned to the older drake beside him as he moved closer. “Hi, Dad.”


	9. Ch. 8 Meet the Families (pt.2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten gets outed by one of Zion's sisters about a past event

Zion sat between an empty seat and his sister Mona. Across from him sat Kate, and beside her sat Sarabi; Lika sat across to her, still as formal as ever and well dressed—well, all the sisters were, in their various shades of blue dresses, but Lika just seemed to stand out from them all, as she always did.

To his left sat Jasmine, Molten's dam, on the other side of the empty seat. He thought it was an odd name, Jasmine, for a leviathan, but Molten had explained that 'dragon-like' names had been growing out of fashion since the 60s. Jasmine looked like an older version of her daughter, except with fair hair, similar to Ember's, lined with several silver locks. Across from her sat Blaze, a black drake with his cobalt underbelly—peeking its way into view because of his open polo shirt collar—and the same dark hair as Molten only tighter cut. From what Molten had told him, Zion had been expecting homophobic comments and an obnoxious attitude to come from him, instead he was quiet, which puzzled Zion, but he thought it best not to question it. Firestrike, who had been one of the first to sit to the long 12 seater table. She sat across from the empty seat, drumming the fingers of her spare hand on the table as she twisted her fork in her spaghetti carbonara, getting harsh looks from her dam every so often.

Zion ran his hand through his frilly neckerchief, which he had run upstairs to get soon after his sisters arrived in their dresses. He looked at Firestrike, wanting an explanation for her tension. She looked toward the door to her right, on the same side as Blaze was to her, the door that led to the hall they had walked from. She then looked back at him, staring him dead in the eye. He heard an audible sigh. Yet her breathing pattern didn't change.

 _I'm just worried about Molten,_ she said to him telepathically.

 _How did you?--_ He thought, only to cut himself off, unsure how to finish the question.

 _Dragons are strong in mind, even after all our evolution_. She looked over at Blaze. _Even the more dense of us._

Zion stifled a laugh as she turned back to him. Kate gave him a look. He shook his head, shaking off her inquisition. She pushed aside some of her pink highlights and brown hair and sighed quietly.

Zion was about to eat another forkful of pasta when a pair of chuckling voices filled the air, coming from the hallway, into the dining room. He looked up, seeing the older cobalt drake with his hand on Molten's shoulder, both with broad smiles on their faces.

They separated at the end of the long table, the older drake stopping by Molten's dam—Molten pecked her cheek as he passed behind her. Zion tapped his hand on the empty antique style seat beside him. Molten nodded and pulled it out.

Once both males had seated themselves, the older one said: "Who knew the name Molten Flarescales would go down in history a second time, aye, Molten?"

Molten and Firestrike chuckled while Blaze rolled his eyes and scornfully tutted. "I doubt it went down the first time," Molten replied with a humourous tone.

"When did it first go down?" Asked Lika, her straight dark hair waving as she turned her head to Molten, spinning her fork in her midnight blue glove

"It was awhile ago," he said sheepishly.

"Five years isn't that long," said Firestrike, picking Ember up, placing her on her lap. Molten shrugged it off and twirled his fork in his spaghetti. Firestrike looked back at him with a look that said, _Really?_

"Did you say your surname was Flarescales?" Sarabi asked. Molten nodded at her. She spun the name in her head until an idea hit her. "Any chance you played basketball?" She thought aloud.

"Maybe," he shrugged, finally getting a forkful of food into his mouth.

The room fell silent as Sarabi pondered the information.

"Just tell them, Molten," urged Firestrike. Molten let out a quiet sigh and dropped his fork, about to speak.

"The shot from the halfway line!" Exclaimed Sarabi.

"Shit," mumbled Molten, getting a slap on the wrist from his dam. The rest of the royal family looked to their youngest sister.

She put down her fork. "Flarescales, number 14, Shovania High versus the Trita Titans. The match was over five years ago. It was the final of Wyrmia's Junior Basketball league. Both teams were drawing, so the game went to penalties. Del Bar had 4 out of 5; they had already missed a shot, and Shovania still had one penalty to go. They called number 14 to take the shot. He had to take the shot from the halfway line. He got it _perfect_." She said, adorning the word _perfect_ with a chef's kiss hand gesture. Molten looked down at his food as the unicorns looked at him.

"People were talking about for weeks, even after school finished two weeks after the match," continued Firestrike. Molten stayed quiet, stirring his spaghetti.

"You never mentioned you played basketball," Zion said, looking at his mate.

Molten shrugged. "There was never really a reason to bring it up, and you didn't get to see the trophies," he said, glaring at Firestrike and wishing he could do the same to his sire.

Zion turned back to Sarabi. "How did you know that about him?"

Mona nodded, agreeing with the question. "Not even I knew that," she said sheepishly.

Sarabi picked up her fork again. "It was a big thing then. No junior had ever scored such a shot."

"That still doesn't answer his question," said Mona.

"You know I like to collect the _Guinness World Book Of Records_." She answered, getting back into her food.

"Who knew the little sister would know more about Molten than either of the twins?" Mused Kate with a slight shrug as she also got back into her meal.

Molten raised a brow, this time Lika explained. "With one being your mate, and the other having followed your music for years, we just think it odd that neither of them knew that."

 _Still so much we don't know about each other._ Molten remarked to himself. He shrugged, "True," though he couldn't remember Zion mentioning he had a twin two days ago when he told him about his sisters. _Maybe I've missed something._ He concluded, getting into his meal properly.


	10. Ch. 9 The After Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten and Zion sneak away to enjoy some time together ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !NSFW chapter!

_The dinner could’ve gone worse._

Well, that’s how Molten saw it. Sure, he didn’t enjoy boasting about his Super Shot five years ago, and his number of sales, but if it meant he got to get to know Zion’s family more, then it was worth it. Though he couldn’t remember Zion telling him he had a twin. He felt bad that he for forgetting such a fact.

He shook his head as he walked down the hallway towards Zion’s room. They walked shoulder to shoulder, hoping that they might finally get some time to themselves.

Molten looked over at Zion, his tongue itching to ask him the one thought tugged on his conscience. He looked behind them, making sure no one was behind them. “Did you tell me Mona was your twin?” He asked softly, still feeling bad for not remembering if he had or not.

Zion thought for a moment. “I... actually don’t think I did,” he said, looking back at him. Molten let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Why?” He asked, opening the door into his bedroom.

“No reason,” replied Molten.

“Did you panic, thinking you had forgotten something?” He said, locking his hands together behind Molten’s neck, swinging from it.

Molten closed the door with his tail. “Maybe,” he said, a smirk growing on his face. He brought Zion up onto his hips and walked down towards the bed, passing the en-suite bathroom that narrowed the room near the door, giving Molten a cramped feeling as he walked between it and the large built-in wardrobe to his right.

Finally, he placed Zion on the bed, kissing his neck as he leaned down on the bed. Zion lay back on the bed, his hands on the back of Molten’s neck as he sucked on the skin and fur of his collarbone, pulling aside the now-opened collar of his shirt. Their tails twined as Zion moaned with pleasure, encouraging Molten to keep going. Molten stopped for a moment, taking some deep breaths, breathing on Zion’s shoulder. Zion kissed his temple and lifted his head to look at him, kissing Molten passionately, their tongues sliding around in each other’s mouths, the light taste of beer and wine mixing.

Molten released a low moan as he moved his groin inward, in between Zion’s legs. He left their groins touching, even as Zion pulled himself up, trying to get off Molten’s shirt, which he had changed into quickly before meeting the princesses. As Zion fumbled with the buttons, Molten reached under Zion’s shirt, his hands sliding along his chest as he lifted the garment off his body. Molten brought his lips back to Zion’s shoulder, sucking ever so slightly on his fur and skin. Zion gave a tug on Molten’s collar, releasing a low, pleasure-filled moan. Molten moved his groin, creating friction between the two.

“Fuck you,” Zion swore between moans. Molten replied with a chuckle before removing his lips from Zion’s shoulder.

“Don’t like being teased, do you?” He taunted, continuing his movement and his kisses on Zion’s sensitive body.

Zion tutted but continued to encourage Molten to pleasure him. Molten straightened up and stood by Zion’s body laying on the bed. He undid the top two buttons of his shirt and took it off. He smirked and turned away from the bed. Zion snorted and kicked Molten on the calf, unimpressed. Molten looked to the colt, smirking. Zion was scowling. It was quite amusing to Molten.

“ _No one_ teases a prince like that and walks away... alive anyways,” Zion said, muttering the last bit. Molten let out a chuckle and went back to kissing Zion, getting him to release a low, loving moan. Molten undid his belt as Zion rubbed his hands on his broad chest. He moved his hands onto Molten’s back and slid them down into his jeans. Finally, Molten’s belt can loose, and he moved his hands down towards Zion’s waist. He moved down, kneeling, and kissed Zion’s stomach as he slid off Zion’s jeans and his own. Once he saw Zion’s member, he slid it into his mouth and sucking on it softly as he ran his tongue over it. Zion gasped as the pleasure hit him. He reached down towards Molten’s head and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Oh, fuck!” He gasped.

Molten looked up to him, smiling as he heard Zion’s moans and gasps. He let tongue out of his mouth, still wrapped around his member, and licked his balls, stimulating him. He opened his mouth and retracted his tongue quickly, instantly getting a loud gasp of ecstasy from Zion. Molten stood up, showing Zion his own member, pre-cum dripping from it.

Zion bit his lip. “Fuck me, Daddy,” he said in a whisper full of lust.

Molten leaned on the bed. “Daddy, huh?” A broad grin sat on his face.

Zion looked back at him lustily. “Please, Daddy,” he pouted.

Molten chuckled and kissed him passionately. He kneeled in between Zion’s separated legs. “Get on your hands and knees for Daddy then,” he said, enjoying the kinky nickname.

Without hesitation, Zion did as he was told, his back to Molten. Molten leaned forward, his head by Zion’s and his chest on Zion’s back. He ran his girdled tongue on Zion’s neck and nibbled on his ear. He sat back up after Zion gave him a moan. He ran his hands down his striped back before settling them on his hips. He moved down, licking Zion’s hole. A whine escaped Zion’s lips. After lubing him up, Molten spat into his hand and ran his saliva over his member.

He kneeled up and lined himself up with Zion. “Ready Babe?” He asked.

“Ready.” He breathed.


	11. Ch. 10 A Man's Worst Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have you noticed that Molten and Zion have met everyone but King Arryn since arriving in Roania?

Molten woke up with Zion on his bare chest, his soft fur rubbing against his scales. He looked down at the colt, his expression soft and peaceful, though it wasn’t that peaceful the night before. He smirked as he remembered Zion’s whimpers and moans, and how his body would react when he made even the slightest of movement.

He moved as little as possible, brushing away some of Zion’s bangs to get a better look at his peaceful expression; he wished he could gaze at it forever. He then skimmed the back of his hand on Zion’s cheek, loving the softness of his fur. It reminded him of the feel of a lamb’s ear plant’s leaf. He brought back his hand, afraid to touch him any more, in case he woke him.

Molten looked back up at the red curtain-like fabric above him, studying it for several minutes—until Zion awoke from his slumber. His eyes flickered open, his long eyelashes fluttered as he blinked to regain his vision. “Hey,” Molten whispered, looking down at his mate.

Zion sat up. “Hi,” he said, moving up to the headboard. Molten sat up after him, allowing Zion to rest his head on his shoulder. The colt let out a tired sigh before looking at Molten. His gaze dropped to about halfway between Molten’s left elbow and his shoulder. On it was a white tattoo in the shape of a lion, with _13.08_ written underneath it. The full size of the tattoo was about the same size as Zion’s palm. “Really? A lion,” he said, surprised someone would pick that as a tattoo, especially a dragon.

Molten chuckled. “I’m a Leo.” He stated, “The tattoo is supposed to stand for my star sign,” he explained.

Zion tilted his head. “Then what’s with the thirteen, zero eight?” He asked.

“It’s my birthday,” he said, amused it had taken Zion this long to notice his tattoos.

“Then what’s the other one about?” He asked, pointing to Molten right arm.

Molten brought his arm forward, showing the white tattoo of a wavering flame, with a pointed bottom. “It’s the Flarescales crest,” he said. “my dad and I got matching tattoos a few weeks after my seventeenth birthday,” he continued. The tattoo would have taken up most of Zion’s hand.

Zion nodded. “How did it take me the long to notice them?” He muttered to himself.

Molten laughed. “I honestly don’t know,” he said, amused. Zion snorted, his ears down flat with annoyance. He slapped him on the upper arm, not at all happy with Molten’s lack of consideration. Molten gave him a shocked expression as Zion made his way out of the bed.

“Well, if that’s how you’re going to be,” he said as he stood up and turned his head over his shoulder, “you can wait until I’ve finished in the shower.” He said with another snort. Molten smirked as he saw Zion’s bare body disappear behind the dark bathroom door.

***-*-*-***

Zion pulled Molten up the last few steps of the flight of stairs to the second floor—the floor his bedroom was on, his grip tight around his scaly wrist.

“What’s the rush now?” Molten asked in a hoarse voice. It was dark outside and most of the royal family and the Flarescales family had gone to bed. Zion—and his sisters—had given the Flarescales family various tours of Askal throughout the day, all the while hiding their dragon features with enchantments. A few hours ago the families had parted ways, leaving Zion and Molten to their own devices.

“I need to get changed before I show you something,” Zion explained in a whisper. Molten followed him through the hall and into his bedroom, his grip still tight around his wrist. Zion let go once he had reached the end of the narrow passage between the en-suite bathroom and the built-in wardrobe. He then disappeared behind a screen, while Molten sat on the edge of the bed, changing into a set of loose-fitting grey pyjama top and black trousers. The top said, _Long live the prince_ , with a crown teetering on the E in prince.

Molten looked at him, amused by the message on his shirt. “Ready?” He asked, pushing aside his laughter.

Zion nodded and made his way towards the door. Molten followed close behind. They took the stairs down to the first floor, encountering a few of the castle’s servants as they did so, all of which nodded their head respectfully as they passed Zion.

Zion led Molten down the softly lit corridor on the first floor. About halfway down the corridor there was an enormous set of French doors, with a light, transparent set of curtains covering the doors. Zion stopped in front of them. “What’s behind them?” Molten whispered, seeing the orb-like formation of lights through one tarp that covered the doors.

“I’ll show you,” Zion whispered, opening the door in front of him. He then walked through it, his hooves leaving the carpeted floor and touching sandstone pavement on the other side. Molten walked out after him. Before him was a large balcony, almost a patio if you wished to call it that. It was about seven square meters in area, with sandstone cobles as its floor. The edge of it was lined with knee-high pillars, all painted white and topped with a steel blue painted prism-shaped slab. Every meter, there would be a tall post with a sphere-shaped light on top of it, it reminded Molten of the orbs unicorns used when they called upon magic, illuminating the patio so the people on it could see at night. Beyond the pillars was a wide river in its latter stage, flowing out to the left, into the Steed’s Sea—or so Molten presumed it was the Steed’s Sea, seeing as both Shovania and Askal were at similar latitudes. The last of the amber light from the setting sun hung just above the horizon off to the right, giving way to the dark sky of the night.

On the patio were three loungers—two facing the last of the sunset and beside each other, the other facing the Steed’s Sea and a few feet away from the others; and a large parasol which was set up in between the two loungers close to one another, and a table beside it. Zion stood by the two close loungers, giving Molten a look of invitation. Molten obliged and made his way over. He stood by the right lounger and then sat on it, relaxing his body as he did so, happy that his tail didn’t hang over the end like it did on most couches and even in most bathtubs.

He lay there for a moment, enjoying the view of the last few moments of the sunset before the burning star disappeared and gave way to midnight blue sky, the moon and the millions of twinkling stars above. This moment couldn’t have gotten much better. Zion noticed the happiness... or maybe it was contentment, on his face, how it said, _this moment can’t get much better_. He made his way slowly over as Molten closed his eyes, a peaceful look falling on his face. Zion kneeled on the lounger, lay on it, raising Molten’s arm, resting his head on his shoulder and then wrapped Molten’s arm around him.

 _And now the moment is perfect,_ both thought to themselves. Molten opened his eyes briefly and pecked Zion on the forehead. Zion put an arm around Molten’s chest and lay there peacefully as Molten looked up at the stars.

After a few minutes, Molten noticed Zion’s breathing had quietened. He looked down from the heavens, down to Zion’s peaceful expression. It was a very similar expression to that which he woke up to that morning. “Zion?” He whispered. The only reply he got was Zion’s ear twitch at the feeling of Molten’s breath fall on his cheek. He smiled to himself before letting out a happy sigh. As fucked up as the last few days had been, he was content with the outcome, and could only hope that his best friend, CJ, could hold the fort when it came to the radio show they shared. He thought back to how he went from being a singleton who survived on one-night stands, to how he suddenly found his chosen one in the middle of the forest; when he heard a new set of hoofbeats come out onto the patio. He listened carefully and slowly sat up.

“Don’t.” Whispered the voice. It was one of a male not much older than his own sire, from what Molten could make out. He stopped moving and almost relaxed. A unicorn in his mid-fifties, with light grey fur and black- and silver-lined hair, walked up to the lounger a few feet away. Molten knew exactly who he was.

 _The King of Roania!_ Molten thought to himself, really getting ready to sit up. He could see now see where Kate, Lika and Sarabi got their darker colours from; unlike the twins.

The king raised his hand, telling him to not to move. He then pointed to Zion. “Never wake him from his sleep,” he whispered, “he won’t look at you for a week.”

Molten nodded and leaned back into the lounger. The king sat on the other lounger across from him. Molten glanced from side to side, unsure of how to greet the king... Or even how to act. He felt like he should do something, but he didn’t want to wake Zion.

“I don’t believe we’ve formally met,” said the king, reaching out his hand to be shaken.

“No, we haven’t... Sir,” said Molten, reaching out his own hand to the stallion. “I’m Molten.”

The king shook his hand fondly. “Arryn. And I don’t want any of this _sir_ business, alright?” He said, taking away his hand.

Molten smiled. “If you say so,” he felt himself relax. Out of all the people’s reactions Molten worried about, his future father-in-law’s was definitely the one he considered would be his worse fear, to date.

“I apologise for not being around when you woke up,” Arryn started, his voice soft. “I was waiting for the Queen of Wyrmia, and after she arrived, I’m afraid it was business only.” He explained. “I tried to catch you today, but I’m afraid my heirs got there before me.” He said with a chuckle.

“It’s fine,” Molten replied, remembering how he thought maybe the king wasn’t happy about Zion’s chosen one, and he had good reason to think so; Zion mentioned very little of his sire before they arrived in Roania, and what did was only about their confrontation a few days ago.

The king’s gaze dropped for a moment. “I wasn’t sure if Zion was safe... I didn’t even think he’d come back... And I think because of what Zion has told me about you,” he looked from his sleeping son to Molten, “I am proud he found someone like you.”

Molten felt his cheeks flush. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Arryn shook his head. “It is I who should thank you; _you_ brought him home. He even admitted he probably wouldn’t be in Roania had you not urged him.... It can’t have been easy to do that.” Molten let an embarrassed smile form. “Now before you get all _high and mighty_ about this,” he said, getting serious, “let me warn you now: if you break his heart, I’ll send my finest of soldiers after you. Understood?”

Molten nodded his head.

“Good,” replied the king, satisfied. “Flame, your sire, also told me about some traits you have. I hope what he said is true, because it sounds like he raised a hard worker, and a pure gentleman.” He said, standing up.

“Well, I wouldn’t say _gentleman_ ,” Molten said, tilting his head.

Arryn chuckled. “We’ll see,” he said before walking off the patio. Once he was in the hallway, he let out a relieved sigh as he thought back to his late wife Sarabi, thanking her for her strength as he remembered some of her last words being: _don’t presume who your heirs chosen ones will be, souls recognise each other by their heart, not by their gender or looks._

*******

Once Molten had heard the king walk down the hallway, Molten let out a quiet sigh of relief, happy to have that over with. _Every young man fears meeting his father-in-law,_ he remembered his sire say with a chuckle when they had a heart-to-heart a few years previous. He waited a little while before deciding that it was a good time to move Zion. He carefully lifted his head off his shoulder and onto the soft pillow of the lounger beneath. He then sat up slowly, delicately taking Zion’s arm off his chest. Molten stood up slowly and looked down at his snoozing mate. A small smile formed on his face; it seemed a shame to move him when he looked so peaceful.

He walked over to the other side of the lounger, just about fitting in between the two of them, and stood by a very much unconscious Zion. He placed one arm behind the small of his back and the other behind his bent knees. Then as delicately as possible, he took Zion up in his arms, cradling him close to this chest for a moment, making sure he hadn’t woken him. He heard a quiet moan come from the colt, but nothing else. Molten let out a quiet, relieved sigh and made his way off the patio-balcony, closing the door with the end of his tail around the handle.

As he started his way down the hall, his mind was drawn back to the journey ahead—well, one particular part of it: the stairs. Carrying someone, or well anything, up stairs, with both your hands full is a challenge. So he paused for a moment and changed Zion’s position so that his head was on Molten’s shoulder and his arms and legs were around Molten, straddling him. Once Zion was in this new position, Molten took a moment to draw in his sweet scent mixed with that of the coconut shampoo that he had used that morning. He let out a happy purr after, happy that Zion was his and no one else’s.

He made his way to the stairs and slowly climbed them, keeping a firm hold on Zion, even after his quads and calves burned. Finally, he reached Zion’s room. He placed him on his side of the bed and covered him in a light sheet before getting changed into his own set of pyjamas. He let out a tired sigh as he finally lay by Zion in the bed.

He had just turned off the bedside light when he heard a chuckle come from Zion. He looked at him. He was facing the other way, his back to Molten. Molten made his way closer to him, laying in a spooning position behind him.

Zion smiled. “Thanks for the lift back,” he said, earning a very pissed off snort from Molten.


	12. Ch. 11 First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zion and Molten get to go on a formal dinner date.

Molten stood in front of a full length bedroom mirror, fixing the navy tie around the collar of his crisp white shirt. He ran his hand down the smooth side of the tie. He looked at the mirror, staring back at his human self. He couldn’t help but feel ridiculous with the tie around his neck: he’d known Zion almost a week, they’d had sex with Molten as top twice, and it was only _now_ they were going on a first date?!

Despite this, he also couldn’t help but want to overdo it because of Zion’s high status, along with the fact that he knew his future father-in-law was in the same building as him at the current time.

He muttered a _hmph_ as he tried to think of an alternative outfit, scanning the empty room around him. According to Mona and Kate, this room would have been the one he woke up in, had Zion not had him moved into his room. It was smaller than Zion’s, with a double bed, dresser and an en-suite shower room.

He pushed aside some of his fringe, hoping to bring the outfit together… that didn’t work either. He rolled his shoulders and heard a knock on the door.

“Yeah,” he called, hoping it was someone to say that the castle was burning and that the date was called off.

Instead, his sire, Flame, walked through the door. “How’s it goin’?” He asked, kind of curious.

Molten ran his thumb on the underside of the tie and sighed. “Do you think I’m overdoing it?” He said, turning towards his sire.

Flame shifted to his own human form, with tightly cut hair, polished dark horns, tanned skin and an artificial-looking amber eye colour. He walked closer to his son, his stride smooth and slow.

“Honestly?” He started, “Yes,” he reached for Molten’s collar. “You don’t need that,” he said, loosening the knot in the tie.

Molten let out a quick burst of air, snorting on his sire’s hands. He muttered something under his breath.

“I’m not even going to ask,” Flame said, undoing the tie and taking it off. He threw it on the bed beside him. He then took a step back, looking at the rest of the outfit. “You know it’s a first date right? Not your wedding.” He said, looking at the navy suit trousers Molten wore. “Where did you even get them?” He looked back at the tie and then back at the shirt. “Where did you get any of this stuff?”

Molten sighed. “Staying in this castle has its perks, alright.” Flame raised a brow. “Same day delivery,” he explained, “and somehow they have dragon sizes.”

Flame shook his head and sighed. “Keep the shirt, but change into jeans or something,” Flame said and began his way out the door.

Molten let an embarrassed smile form on his face. “Thanks.”

He changed quickly, changing into navy chinos and white Converse. He rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to the elbow. At least with this outfit, it would suit both his forms. He left the top two buttons open on his shirt, keeping up the casual look. As he was about to leave the bedroom, he grabbed a navy jacket, just in case, seeing as the temperature at this latitude was cold at night, especially during summer, as it was now.

He made his way quickly downstairs, putting the jacket on near the end. As his shoe hit the tiled floor at the end, he heard a bedroom door from the floor above, close. He fixed his jacket with a quick tug and faced the stairs. He saw movement from above and focused on it. Soon later he heard footsteps on the wooden stairs coming down from that floor. He slipped his phone out of his pocket. 19:30, just like they had planned that morning.

He shifted his stance as the footsteps came closer. The figure turned the corner on the stairs, facing Molten, turning the figure into Zion. He was dressed in a black buttoned t-shirt and dark jeans. He continued his way down the stairs. Finally, his shoes touched a white tile at the end of the stairs.

He looked at Molten and let out a sigh. “I knew I dressed too casual,” he said, his ears down showing disappointment.

Molten chuckled. “It’s fine,” he said, taking a step closer to Zion. “Shall we go, my prince?” Molten said, tilting his head towards the door.

Zion nodded and came closer. “Let’s,” he took Molten by the hand and pecked him on the lips. Molten led them out of the hall and into the chilling air of the evening. It surprised him to find his silver Audi at the end of the concrete steps in front of them.

“How?—“ he asked, looking to Zion.

Zion smiled. “Teleportation is a great power,” he said.

Molten smiled and shook his head. “Of course,” he joked. They started down the steps, Zion’s hand still in Molten’s. They parted at the end of them, Molten went for the driver’s seat while Zion went for the passenger side. Once they were settled in their seats—and Molten had put on his shades—Molten drove off, the sound of loose gravel under the three filling the silence as he drove down the long driveway, down to the silver gates, guarded constantly by two guards, who were anthropomorphic pegasi, ponies or unicorns. The sound of the crunching gravel was muted as Molten drove onto the tarmac road that was lined on both sides by tall oak trees.

***-*-*-***

“Do your worst,” Zion said. They were playing twenty questions as he sat across from Molten, and the small LED fairy lights dangling above them gave the white tablecloth a warm amber glow. He dug his sundae spoon into the raspberry ripple ice-cream of the Smarties sundae sat in between the two. It was their _shared-dessert_ after Molten’s curry and Zion’s pasta. Zion had given Molten a glamour that would hide his horns from equine view.

“What’s your surname?” Molten asked as Zion scooped the ice-cream into his mouth.

“ _Surnames_.” Zion corrected. “My full name is Zion Lindsay Baird Zirnen.” He said, picking a Smartie from the whipped cream that was left on the sundae—though very little was left, and Molten still insisted on keeping it until last.

Molten tilted his head. “How posh.” He said, mocking a posh English accent. Zion snorted at the accent and went for another spoonful of the cold dessert.

Zion thought to himself for a moment. “Why do you wear shades while performing?”

Molten smiled. “Did Mona ask you to ask me that?” He asked, brushing aside some of his bangs.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Zion shrugged, smiling as he got in another spoonful.

Molten shook his head. “I have this awkward eye condition. My eyes are sensitive to light and I find my blue fire pretty bright, especially in the dark. I also just wear them so not many know my _true self_.” he explained, scraping his spoon around the glass sundae bowl, getting the last of the cream and Smarties and swallowed it down.

The two sat and talked for several more minutes. Discussing different topics: the contrast of royal life to middle class life; their favourite or more memorable childhood memories; and different facts about Roania and Wyrmia.

“So Shovania is a state,” Zion said, putting one forefinger on the other, “a city,” he unfurled his middle finger, “and a town?” He finished unfurling his ring finger.

“Yeah, pretty much. The town is a few miles from the edge of the city. I grew up in the town, but now I live more inward.” Molten explained. He saw a waitress pass behind Zion. He waved slightly to get her attention. She moved closer to the couple. “Can we have the bill, please?” He asked. The waitress nodded and moved off.

“So do we split it, or what?” Zion asked.

“I’ve got it,” Molten said, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.

The waitress walked back to them. She had dark fur and a set of dark wings on her back; she had white hair and her eyes were hazel. “Your bill has been paid, sir” she said, a bright smile on her face.

“By who?” Zion looked to Molten and Molten looked to Zion.

“By Mr Arryn Lindsay,” she said. Then she took up the sundae glass bowl and the plate beneath it.

After she walked away Zion looked to Molten. “That’s a surprise,” Zion said, thinking why his sire would have done such a thing.

Molten drained the last of his Pinot Noir from his wineglass. “Yeah, but it must be a good sign, right? I mean, he wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t happy with our relationship,” Molten said, twisting the glass in between his thumb and forefinger. “And he seems to have a persona.”

Zion nodded in agreement and smiled—though he still couldn’t figure out why his sire paid the bill, and how he even did it—and finished his own glass of wine. “Ready?” He asked. Molten nodded and stood up, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair. They made their way out of the restaurant—they had to duck under the fairy lights every so often to get out of the restaurant.

Finally, they arrived in the cold air of the late evening. It was a little past 9:30 and sun had yet to fully set. They stood outside the restaurant for a moment, taking in the drop in temperature.

“I want to take you somewhere,” Zion said, putting his hand in Molten’s.

“Lead the way,” he said. Zion walked north, his hand still in Molten’s. Molten was wary of anyone seeing through his glamour and was worried about what would happen after. But it seemed to hold and kept his horns hidden.

Zion led Molten to an enormous park, with a pond, stream and a path was a loop. The inner part of the park was grass or flowerbeds, while the outer area was all trees of birch and ash. Right in the middle there was a small humpback bridge with a pond on either side of it. Zion brought Molten onto the path, his hand still in his. He brought Molten down the path, their footsteps accompanying them all the way. He led Molten into the forest around the park. They walked in between trees for what felt like several minutes until they came near an arch made of willow branches and covered in ivy growing wildly around the arch and trees nearby. Beyond the arch was a rose bed, an abandoned fountain, and a small bench.

Molten looked around, feeling blessed to be in this place. After walking through the arch, Zion split from Molten and moved into the centre of the clearing. He shifted to his anthropomorphic unicorn form. He stood there for a moment and called upon his magic. His horn glowed gold and a bunch of small orbs floated in front of him off the ground. The words then expanded into one large cocoon and two smaller ones of gold light. These then became a rolled-up blanket and four pillows grouped in two. They all fell by Zion’s feet. Molten made his way over.

“Teleportation?” He asked, curious.

“Yep,” Zion replied as he unrolled the blanket, a gold ring was at the base of his horn and his finger made a circling motion, unfurling the blanket. When the blanket was almost done, Zion turned to Molten and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him into a deep kiss which Molten melted right into. Zion leaned back, hanging onto Molten for a moment before ending the kiss and standing back up. Molten opened his eyes slowly and smiled.

Zion smiled back at him and hesitantly pulled his hand. “Do you wanna stargaze?” He asked.

Molten smiled and nodded.

They sat on the blanket for a moment, looking at the roses ahead, for no apparent reason. A soft breeze blew and Zion rubbed his arms. Molten put his jacket on his shoulders, Zion looked to him.

“You looked cold,” he said honestly.

Zion smiled and leaned on Molten’s shoulder and let out a happy sigh. “Ready for me to show off?”

Molten stood in front of a full length bedroom mirror, fixing the navy tie around the collar of his crisp white shirt. He ran his hand down the smooth side of the tie. He looked at the mirror, staring back at his human self. He couldn’t help but feel ridiculous with the tie around his neck: he’d known Zion almost a week, they’d had sex with Molten as top twice, and it was only _now_ they were going on a first date?!

Despite this, he also couldn’t help but want to overdo it because of Zion’s high status, along with the fact that he knew his future father-in-law was in the same building as him at the current time.

He muttered a _hmph_ as he tried to think of an alternative outfit, scanning the empty room around him. According to Mona and Kate, this room would have been the one he woke up in, had Zion not had him moved into his room. It was smaller than Zion’s, with a double bed, dresser and an en-suite shower room.

He pushed aside some of his fringe, hoping to bring the outfit together… that didn’t work either. He rolled his shoulders and heard a knock on the door.

“Yeah,” he called, hoping it was someone to say that the castle was burning and that the date was called off.

Instead, his sire, Flame, walked through the door. “How’s it goin’?” He asked, kind of curious.

Molten ran his thumb on the underside of the tie and sighed. “Do you think I’m overdoing it?” He said, turning towards his sire.

Flame shifted to his own human form, with tightly cut hair, polished dark horns, tanned skin and an artificial-looking amber eye colour. He walked closer to his son, his stride smooth and slow.

“Honestly?” He started, “Yes,” he reached for Molten’s collar. “You don’t need that,” he said, loosening the knot in the tie.

Molten let out a quick burst of air, snorting on his sire’s hands. He muttered something under his breath.

“I’m not even going to ask,” Flame said, undoing the tie and taking it off. He threw it on the bed beside him. He then took a step back, looking at the rest of the outfit. “You know it’s a first date right? Not your wedding.” He said, looking at the navy suit trousers Molten wore. “Where did you even get them?” He looked back at the tie and then back at the shirt. “Where did you get any of this stuff?”

Molten sighed. “Staying in this castle has its perks, alright.” Flame raised a brow. “Same day delivery,” he explained, “and somehow they have dragon sizes.”

Flame shook his head and sighed. “Keep the shirt, but change into jeans or something,” Flame said and began his way out the door.

Molten let an embarrassed smile form on his face. “Thanks.”

He changed quickly, changing into navy chinos and white Converse. He rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to the elbow. At least with this outfit, it would suit both his forms. He left the top two buttons open on his shirt, keeping up the casual look. As he was about to leave the bedroom, he grabbed a navy jacket, just in case, seeing as the temperature at this latitude was cold at night, especially during summer, as it was now.

He made his way quickly downstairs, putting the jacket on near the end. As his shoe hit the tiled floor at the end, he heard a bedroom door from the floor above, close. He fixed his jacket with a quick tug and faced the stairs. He saw movement from above and focused on it. Soon later he heard footsteps on the wooden stairs coming down from that floor. He slipped his phone out of his pocket. 19:30, just like they had planned that morning.

He shifted his stance as the footsteps came closer. The figure turned the corner on the stairs, facing Molten, turning the figure into Zion. He was dressed in a black buttoned t-shirt and dark jeans. He continued his way down the stairs. Finally, his shoes touched a white tile at the end of the stairs.

He looked at Molten and let out a sigh. “I knew I dressed too casual,” he said, his ears down showing disappointment.

Molten chuckled. “It’s fine,” he said, taking a step closer to Zion. “Shall we go, my prince?” Molten said, tilting his head towards the door.

Zion nodded and came closer. “Let’s,” he took Molten by the hand and pecked him on the lips. Molten led them out of the hall and into the chilling air of the evening. It surprised him to find his silver Audi at the end of the concrete steps in front of them.

“How?—“ he asked, looking to Zion.

Zion smiled. “Teleportation is a great power,” he said.

Molten smiled and shook his head. “Of course,” he joked. They started down the steps, Zion’s hand still in Molten’s. They parted at the end of them, Molten went for the driver’s seat while Zion went for the passenger side. Once they were settled in their seats—and Molten had put on his shades—Molten drove off, the sound of loose gravel under the three filling the silence as he drove down the long driveway, down to the silver gates, guarded constantly by two guards, who were anthropomorphic pegasi, ponies or unicorns. The sound of the crunching gravel was muted as Molten drove onto the tarmac road that was lined on both sides by tall oak trees.

***-*-*-***

“Do your worst,” Zion said. They were playing twenty questions as he sat across from Molten, and the small LED fairy lights dangling above them gave the white tablecloth a warm amber glow. He dug his sundae spoon into the raspberry ripple ice-cream of the Smarties sundae sat in between the two. It was their _shared-dessert_ after Molten’s curry and Zion’s pasta. Zion had given Molten a glamour that would hide his horns from equine view.

“What’s your surname?” Molten asked as Zion scooped the ice-cream into his mouth.

“ _Surnames_.” Zion corrected. “My full name is Zion Lindsay Baird Zirnen.” He said, picking a Smartie from the whipped cream that was left on the sundae—though very little was left, and Molten still insisted on keeping it until last.

Molten tilted his head. “How posh.” He said, mocking a posh English accent. Zion snorted at the accent and went for another spoonful of the cold dessert.

Zion thought to himself for a moment. “Why do you wear shades while performing?”

Molten smiled. “Did Mona ask you to ask me that?” He asked, brushing aside some of his bangs.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Zion shrugged, smiling as he got in another spoonful.

Molten shook his head. “I have this awkward eye condition. My eyes are sensitive to light and I find my blue fire pretty bright, especially in the dark. I also just wear them so not many know my _true self_.” he explained, scraping his spoon around the glass sundae bowl, getting the last of the cream and Smarties and swallowed it down.

The two sat and talked for several more minutes. Discussing different topics: the contrast of royal life to middle class life; their favourite or more memorable childhood memories; and different facts about Roania and Wyrmia.

“So Shovania is a state,” Zion said, putting one forefinger on the other, “a city,” he unfurled his middle finger, “and a town?” He finished unfurling his ring finger.

“Yeah, pretty much. The town is a few miles from the edge of the city. I grew up in the town, but now I live more inward.” Molten explained. He saw a waitress pass behind Zion. He waved slightly to get her attention. She moved closer to the couple. “Can we have the bill, please?” He asked. The waitress nodded and moved off.

“So do we split it, or what?” Zion asked.

“I’ve got it,” Molten said, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.

The waitress walked back to them. She had dark fur and a set of dark wings on her back; she had white hair and her eyes were hazel. “Your bill has been paid, sir” she said, a bright smile on her face.

“By who?” Zion looked to Molten and Molten looked to Zion.

“By Mr Arryn Lindsay,” she said. Then she took up the sundae glass bowl and the plate beneath it.

After she walked away Zion looked to Molten. “That’s a surprise,” Zion said, thinking why his sire would have done such a thing.

Molten drained the last of his Pinot Noir from his wineglass. “Yeah, but it must be a good sign, right? I mean, he wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t happy with our relationship,” Molten said, twisting the glass in between his thumb and forefinger. “And he seems to have a persona.”

Zion nodded in agreement and smiled—though he still couldn’t figure out why his sire paid the bill, and how he even did it—and finished his own glass of wine. “Ready?” He asked. Molten nodded and stood up, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair. They made their way out of the restaurant—they had to duck under the fairy lights every so often to get out of the restaurant.

Finally, they arrived in the cold air of the late evening. It was a little past 9:30 and sun had yet to fully set. They stood outside the restaurant for a moment, taking in the drop in temperature.

“I want to take you somewhere,” Zion said, putting his hand in Molten’s.

“Lead the way,” he said. Zion walked north, his hand still in Molten’s. Molten was wary of anyone seeing through his glamour and was worried about what would happen after. But it seemed to hold and kept his horns hidden.

Zion led Molten to an enormous park, with a pond, stream and a path was a loop. The inner part of the park was grass or flowerbeds, while the outer area was all trees of birch and ash. Right in the middle there was a small humpback bridge with a pond on either side of it. Zion brought Molten onto the path, his hand still in his. He brought Molten down the path, their footsteps accompanying them all the way. He led Molten into the forest around the park. They walked in between trees for what felt like several minutes until they came near an arch made of willow branches and covered in ivy growing wildly around the arch and trees nearby. Beyond the arch was a rose bed, an abandoned fountain, and a small bench.

Molten looked around, feeling blessed to be in this place. After walking through the arch, Zion split from Molten and moved into the centre of the clearing. He shifted to his anthropomorphic unicorn form. He stood there for a moment and called upon his magic. His horn glowed gold and a bunch of small orbs floated in front of him off the ground. The words then expanded into one large cocoon and two smaller ones of gold light. These then became a rolled-up blanket and four pillows grouped in two. They all fell by Zion’s feet. Molten made his way over.

“Teleportation?” He asked, curious.

“Yep,” Zion replied as he unrolled the blanket, a gold ring was at the base of his horn and his finger made a circling motion, unfurling the blanket. When the blanket was almost done, Zion turned to Molten and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him into a deep kiss which Molten melted right into. Zion leaned back, hanging onto Molten for a moment before ending the kiss and standing back up. Molten opened his eyes slowly and smiled.

Zion smiled back at him and hesitantly pulled his hand. “Do you wanna stargaze?” He asked.

Molten smiled and nodded.

They sat on the blanket for a moment, looking at the roses ahead, for no apparent reason. A soft breeze blew and Zion rubbed his arms. Molten put his jacket on his shoulders, Zion looked to him.

“You looked cold,” he said honestly.

Zion smiled and leaned on Molten’s shoulder and let out a happy sigh. “Ready for me to show off?”


	13. Ch. 12 Family, Friends and... Fans?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zion knew that Mona liked Molten's music, but he never expected how many others might as well.

Zion awoke from his sleep to the bright light of the morning sun, slowly rising above the trees at the edge of the clearing, and down onto his face. He felt Molten’s half covered arm around him; it felt both possessive and defensive. And he liked it. He liked everything about his current situation, apart from one thing: he had never _actually_ dated anyone. Sure, he’d had sex with several guys, but he’d dated none of them. And he’d never had bottomed before he met Molten, so that was an unfamiliar experience as well... so long as he wasn’t always the bottom, he didn’t mind.

He looked up at the blue sky above: it reminded him of Molten’s eyes. A few fluffy clouds hung in the air, like white cotton candy. He let out a short, happy sigh, followed by the realisation that this was the first time he’d woken before Molten. He looked to his left and a little upward; Molten lay on his side, his eyes closed, and his face wore a soft smile as his nostrils enlarged slightly with each peaceful breath. He had shifted to his beast form during the night. Zion smiled to himself, afraid to move in case he woke him. He then looked at the rest of his body; the shirt on his torso; his arm around his stomach; his half bent legs; and the way his tail curled softly under Zion’s feet, making Molten a wall around him, to either show possession or defence, Zion wasn’t sure which.

It then crossed his mind that he still wore Molten’s jacket on his shoulders. He crossed his arms as quietly as possible, grabbing the sides of the jacket. The sun and the weight of the jacket made the heat unbearable, and with the jacket under him, his back would be constantly hot if he wore it any longer. He considered his next move, only to realise there would be no way to get the jacket off without waking Molten—and he really didn’t want to do that.

He looked back at Molten, his calm expression still the same. He rested a hand on his cheek, liking how firm his jaw muscles felt, and he pecked him on the lips, enjoying the moment even as his shirt stuck to his back. He turned his head back towards the clouds above as a cool breeze blew, ruffling his curly blonde hair. He took the moment of peace for himself as he felt the cool air on his fur, only to have a set of lips touch his brow. He looked up. He saw Molten smiling back at him. He took his arm off Zion’s body carefully. Zion sat up slightly and removed the jacket from under him.

Molten sat up fully and put his hand behind Zion’s body. He pecked him behind the ear and then nibbled on it. Zion closed his eyes and smiled. His tail swished as well. Molten chuckled to himself and moved down to Zion’s jawline.

They stayed all Lovey Dovey for a few more minutes until Zion got bored with it and pretty much pushed Molten away.

“ _Fine,_ ” Molten sighed dramatically. He stood up, picking up his jacket on the way up. He stretched, straightening his tail as he reached up—Zion thought he saw Molten’s patterns glow brightly as he did so. He walked around, stretching his legs and straightening his shirt as he walked up to the fountain. Ivy strewn on its cracked concrete walls, advancing on the hard rock.

Zion rolled up the blanket and gather up the fluffy cushions he had teleported to the clearing the night before.

Molten bounced on the balls of his bare feet for a moment before turning around and grabbing his socks and Converse. As he was putting them on, a gold translucent glow of magic formed around Zion’s blue horn. A few moments later cocoons of white wrapped around the blankets and pillows, and in a sharp flash of light, they were gone, leaving only small sprinkles of ember-like dust floating in their place. After, Zion fixed his hair and smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt. He then walked over to Molten, putting his arms around him.

“Can we get breakfast?”

***-*-*-***

“Well, if it isn’t DJ Molten, out here in Askal.” Called a voice. Molten looked up from his Double Bacon & Egg McMuffin to see a muscular dark skinned man in a dark vest coming towards their booth

Molten smiled to himself. “CJ Knowles” he said, amazed. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

CJ stopped a few feet away from the table. “Well then, in that case I’ll just leave.” He said, already starting to the door. Molten smiled and shook his head, Zion gave him a sharp look; he’d heard a lot about CJ, so he couldn’t quite understand why Molten was letting his friend walk out.

“Wait for it,” Molten whispered when he noticed Zion’s look.

CJ smirked to himself before turning around and walking back in Molten’s direction. He stood at the end on the booth, Zion noticed how muscular he was—he was just as ripped as Molten. “Is it true you’re to blame for the new customs border we have on the Mount Asraine River?” CJ asked Molten, referring to the river of lava that constantly poured from the volcanic Mount Asraine that separated the land into Roania and Wyrmia.

Molten chuckled. “Well, I guess you could blame it on someone else as well,” he said, looking across at Zion who smiled at the joke.

“Mind if I sit with ya?” CJ asked.

Molten looked to Zion, who gave a small nod. “Sure,” he said, moving himself and his muffin down more. He tilted his body as he moved his tail into a better position as he settled. CJ slid in beside him. The three talked for several minutes, even getting the full story from CJ and Molten when they were sixteen and Molten scored the Halfway Line Shot, Zion even saw the video CJ had on his phone, Zion had to admit it was a remarkable shot.

After, they headed for the door. As they were about to go to the car park CJ looked to Molten. “Whatever you do, don’t get mad at me,” he said. To the side of the McDonalds was a navy lorry with a large yellow tailer on the back. On the trailer was _DRDR FM Road-Caster,_ written in the same flame like font as Molten’s merch logo.

“You’re joking...” Molten said, looking to CJ. “How did he find out?!” He asked mad and astonished.

“I don’t know,” CJ replied calmly. Zion came back to the two. “He thought it was a good idea to meet you here in Askal, apparently you’re huge here and he already has a place for us to go and have the show live from Askal.” CJ explained. Molten sighed and looked back to the truck.

Zion looked at the two. “One question: who’s _he_?”

Molten spoke this time. “Ricky, our boss.”

***-*-*-***

“ _And that’s a wrap.”_ said the DRDR producer Louise on Molten’s headset. Molten smiled and took off his headset as _Get the Party Started_ by _P!NK_ played. An enormous crowd of unicorns, pegasi and ponies were gathered around the trailer as the _DJ & CJ Show_ ended. Both CJ and he were in shades as the scorching sun beat down on the trailer and the surrounding crowd. They were parked at what the Askalians called the _Entertainment Square_. They were close to the centre of Askal and a good three-quarter of an hour journey from the castle.

CJ knocked Molten on the shoulder as that got out of their chairs, getting a mixture of mild disappointment and content sounds from the crowd as they walked out of the opened up room, down to the end of the trailer, getting out at the end of the trailer and walking down the steel steps, down onto the hot concrete. At the base was Mona, Zion, Kate and Sarabi, along with Molten’s family who had arrived in the middle of the show.

“You two are quite entertaining,” Zion complimented, standing beside Molten.

“I told you,” Mona sang, lifting the DJ Molten merch sunglasses off her face to get a good look at CJ. The ten of them had a few moments to talk among themselves before the rest of the equine crowd moved its way towards the co-hosts.


	14. Ch. 13 Surprise, Surprise!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zion shows up at one of Molten's gigs unannounced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !Slight NSFW!

**Song 1:** _**Earthquake** _ **by** **_Labyrinth_ **

[Song](https://youtu.be/u0fk6syQ7iY)

**Song 2:** ** _The Other Side_** **(** _ **The Greatest Showman**_ )   
[Scene:](https://youtu.be/GimrxP2U0ZE)

[ Better sound: ](https://youtu.be/-OX6pEeVVVo)

  
**Song 3:** **_Through the Fire and the Flames_ ** **by** _**Dragonforce** _ ****

[ Song ](https://youtu.be/15JCb6P60Vw)

**Song 4:** **_The Greatest Show_ ** **(** **_The Greatest Showman_ ** **)**  
[ Scene: ](https://youtu.be/kkjhqJ55I1I)

[ Better sound: ](https://youtu.be/NyVYXRD1Ans)

**Song 5:** **_I've Gotta Feeling_ ** **by** _**the Black Eyed Peas** _   
[ Song: ](https://youtu.be/uSD4vsh1zDA)

**_____________________________________**

Molten lay on his bed in his black hipsters, tail swaying slightly as he scrolled through his phone, the head of a purple dildo in his mouth. It had been just over a week since he had left Askal, and ever since, Zion would message him as often as possible, but then every second day or so, Zion would send him something on Snapchat, a very _intimate_ something. And Zion had sent him one of those somethings an hour ago, hence the dildo in Molten's mouth.

He barely sucked on the piece of plastic, not sucking like he would if he were to give an actual blowjob, and scrolled through his Tumblr. He ran his tongue around the head. Though Zion wasn't as girthy as the dildo, he still fantasised that he was there enjoying the massage. He was about to throw the phone aside and focus on the toy and blow off some steam when a video call came in. He took the toy out of his mouth and looked fully at the screen, Zion's profile picture was on the screen along with the green answer button and the red decline button. Molten put the toy behind the phone, feeling drained of his horniness for now, and pressed the answer button.

"Hey, Zee."

***-*-*-***

Molten stood behind his turntable in the Shovania concert hall. Behind him was the flickering light of his logo, lit in his own iconic blue fire as the lights of the music spectrum rose and fell with each beat of his remix of the song _Earthquake_. He stood there with his shades on and a head mic by his right cheek. He saw CJ stroll down the edge of the hall from the door to backstage as the last 30 seconds of the song played. He saw Ricky make his way on stage. The green drake had these piercing yellow eyes that made anyone uncomfortable if he looked to you with a slow twist of his head. Molten and he switched places before Molten landed three feet below, just by the turntable, off stage. He made his way down by the edge of the hall also, signing a few autographs as he passed some members of the crowd. Once he reached around the halfway mark of the hall, he waited for Ricky to play the next song. CJ stood straight across from him, his hand wrapped around his mic.

Molten cleared his throat quietly and strode into the middle of the hall. He lit a ring of blue fire around himself; the flames reaching the height of about six inches. The dragons and drakes around him moved back, making room around him, leaving half a meter between their feet and the ring of fire. Molten listened to the opening beat, took a breath and started.

_"Right here, right now  
I put the offer out  
I don't want to chase you down  
I know you see it"_

The words spilt out of his mouth with ease and his markings glowed bright blue even under the bright pale light from above. And then the last of the first chorus came around.

_"Stay in the cage, or you'll finally take the key  
Oh, damn! Suddenly you're free to fly  
It'll take you to the other side"_

CJ took it up from there, coming into the ring of fire, turning the blue flames to red and making his own red markings glow as he sang.

_"Okay, my friend, you want to cut me in  
Well I hate to tell you, but it just won't happen  
So thanks, but no  
I think I'm good to go  
'Cause I quite enjoy the life you say I'm trapped in."_

The two continued the song ending it with power and intensity, getting a wild cheer from the crowd and Molten and CJ stood there panting, gasping for air from their sing and dance in a small area in the already heated hall. Their fire and glowing marks faded, and they made their way to the edge of the hall once more, as _Through The Fire And The Flames_ came on, filling the air once again with energy as Ricky played the heavy metal song.

Molten put his hands on his hips as the seven and a half minute song started, forcing himself to draw in more air. _Get ready for the next one,_ he heard CJ's voice say in his head. _It'll be even more pumped up._

 _I know,_ he replied quickly, _who do you think made the playlist?_ he said snarkily. The next seven minutes passed quickly. A few moments after the song ended, Molten made his way up the centre of the hall. He stood right in front of the turntable on the ground, facing the left side of the hall. Then the song started. On the opening beats, Molten banged his tail on the floor, to feel the beat fully, and to bring out his inner Hugh Jackman as the iconic _The Greatest Show_ song played.

" _Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for,_ " the rest of the DJs in the hall sang a _woah._ _"Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor  
And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore  
Taking your breath, stealing your mind  
And all that was real is left behind"_

Molten advanced down the hall, striding down with power. Two strips of blue flames ran down beside him, straight down the centre of the hall. By the time he reached the chorus, he had reached the middle of the hall, about a dozen DJs following him, both leviathan and equine.

_"When it's covered in all the coloured lights  
Where the runaways are running the night  
Impossible comes true, it's taking over you  
Oh, this is the greatest show  
We light it up, we won't come down  
And the sun can't stop us now."_

Molten was about three quarters way down the hall when he noticed something. Off to his left he saw a familiar set of faces. _Zion?_ he thought to himself. Beside him were his sisters Mona and Kate, along with a black unicorn colt with a crimson horn. Molten got himself together before continuing the song.

_"When it's covered in all the coloured lights  
Where the runaways are running the night  
Impossible comes true, it's taking over you  
Oh, this is the greatest show  
We light it up, we won't come down  
And the walls can't stop us now  
I'm watching it come true, it's taking over you  
Oh, this is the greatest show" _

After that, CJ took the lead in the song. Molten slipped off toward Zion, turning off his mic as he neared him.

Zion was focused on the rest of the singers when Molten put his arm around his shoulders. Zion turned his head sharply to tell the figure to back off. As he opened his mouth to utter a defence, he stopped, seeing Molten beside him. “Molten?” He asked. Though the DJ barely heard, he nodded.

“I only have a minute or two, so I just want to do this,” Molten said.

Zion gave him a puzzled look. “Do wha—?” Molten seized his words with a deep kiss, putting his hands on the lower part of Zion’s back and pulling him closer, making him lean back a little. The surrounding music faded as they tongue wrestled. They separated, Zion lifted Molten’s shades off his eyes, still held in Molten’s arms as the noise of the hall hit them again.

“Hope you’re ready for an _action-packed_ night,” Molten said with a teasing growl, grabbing Zion’s ass, making the unicorn blush. He smiled to himself and pecked him on the cheek. “I’ll see ya after the show,” he said, swiftly walking up to the stage to play the last song of the night. He climbed on to the stage again, as Ricky made his way off it. He turned his mic back on as the group of singers ceased their singing. He cleared his throat to get the crowds’ attention. “Good evening everyone.” He started, his voice booming out of the speakers throughout the hall. “This next—and last—song is a personal pick of mine to end the night.” A ripple of disappointment ran through the crowd. “I know, I know. You love me, I get it,” Molten said with an air of false self-admiration, getting a slight laugh of the crowd.

He shook his head, lowering it at the same time and beginning to play _I Gotta Feelin_ ’, bopping his head with the opening beat. He took off his head mic, placing it on the turntable. He looked up, liking the feeling he felt. It was one he felt every time he played; it was pride he felt at the fact he was making people feel good and forgetting about life while he was doing what he loved. He was about to let himself show a smile when someone caught his eye in one of the front rows; it was a broad, bulky male drake, his scales were black with bright amber bonyplates on his head and neck.

 _It can’t be!_ Molten thought to himself, panicking. He absentmindedly ran the tip of his forefinger on the faint scar by the right side of his muzzle. _Not him. Anyone but him._

Molten swiftly made his way offstage, getting many calls from the musicians that stood backstage as he passed them. He went into the nearest dressing room, the one he had gotten ready in a few hours ago. It was a tight space, with his gear bag on the seat and his phone on the dresser in front of the light-up mirror. He looked at the table, flustered, trying to force himself to calm down as he removed his shades, revealing his terrified, thinned pupils.

*******

Zion saw him walk offstage, he had never seen him move so quick. He made his way out onto the side aisle as the DJ before Molten took over, though the crowd wouldn’t have realised because of the song not being interrupted. He slipped through the side door leading backstage. There he saw CJ. He gave him a questioning look but held back his questions. “He’s just in that room on the right,” he said, pointing down the corridor. Zion nodded and made his way down the dark passage.

He knocked on the door to the dressing room three times, not getting an answer. He opened it slowly and made his way inside. Molten leaned on the white table beneath his hands. Zion slowly made his way over. “What is it?” He asked, concerned about Molten’s state.

Molten looked to him, his eyes scared Zion. “Remondo,” he forced out.


	15. Ch. 14 Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zion wants to know who Romondo is and why Molten was so shaken by seeing him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !WARNING! Talk of abuse ahead

Their night wasn’t as _action-packed_ as they had hoped. To be honest, there was no action, just the two of them lying together in bed, awkwardly. Neither of them slept much; Zion was worried about who this _Remondo_ was, while Molten lay there wondering _how_ to explain who he was.

It was early when Zion woke. According to Molten’s radio alarm clock, he woke at 7:56, which was probably the earliest he had ever woken at. He lay there for a little while, facing the wall he lay next to, before rolling over, facing Molten’s bare back. Finally, he sighed and pulled himself up, standing on the bed of a moment before swiftly making his way over Molten’s legs and landing in the small fluffy rug on the floor. He looked back at Molten, to see if he had woken him. To his relief he hadn’t, or so he had thought. He made his way out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him and making his way down the tunnel to the wide space of the kitchen.

*******

Molten hadn’t really slept at all that night; he was worried about who he had seen the night before, worrying whether he’d get into his house. Once Zion had left the room, he opened his eyes again, looking at the alarm clock. He had a pounding headache from the lack of sleep, and so he didn’t even feel like getting up, even if he still had to collect his turntable from last night’s venue.

He rolled onto his back, feeling sorry for himself as he looked at the window above him, seeing the bright sunlight above. He groaned to himself and pushed himself up, yawning as he sat against the leather headboard. He ran his fingers through his hair, to make it look like he had slept, even just a little. He forced himself out of bed with a tired groan and lumbered over to the bathroom, glancing at his phone and putting it on charge.

It was a bathroom that resembled that of one in a hotel room; with its large counter and basin in front of a wide mirror; a deep bathtub; a shower stall; and a toilet. He flicked on the light and walked over to the counter with half-closed eyes and ran the hot tap, splashing water on his face to help with the _I did sleep_ look. After he dried off and looked at himself in the mirror, he looked to the left side of the marble counter, reaching for the small grey cardboard box beside his razor and shaving cream. As soon as he picked up the box, he knew it was empty.

“Great,” he muttered. He knew he didn’t have another box of contacts anywhere else. He sighed and made his way back over to the bedside table, pulling out the first drawer. A notepad, pen and a navy glasses box lay there. He reached for the box and opened it, a pair of black plastic-framed glasses were in it, on top of the velvet glasses cloth.

“First time for everything, right?” He mumbled, striding towards the door. He walked down the hallway and entered the living room-kitchen. Zion sat at the table.

“Hey,” said Zion, chewing on a piece of toast and dressed in only pyjama bottoms. Two cups of coffee were on the table beside him.

“Hi,” Molten croaked, plodding his way towards the table, glancing back at the front door

Zion looked up at him, his brow cocked suspiciously. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Very funny,” said Molten, sitting down to the table, still looking as tired as he did when he woke up. Zion slid a mug over to him. “Can you get the sugar bowl?” He said reaching for the coffee, knowing damn well he’d need the sugar and the caffeine.

Zion lowered his head in a nod and asked: “Where is it?”

“Behind you, in the press on the left-hand side, under the counter,” he instructed.

Zion turned around and looked in the press, taking the sugar bowl and placing it on the table. He then grabbed a spoon from the cutlery drawer beside the press and placed it on the table. Molten took two heaped teaspoons of sugar and stirred it into the coffee. He took small sips at first, and then gulped down some more, until the mug was about half empty, feeling awake at last. He heard a door open and close in the corridor.

“CJ,” he explained when Zion looked to him. “He missed a couple of payments and his landlord wanted to _sell the apartment_ , I offered to help him out, so long as he helped to pay the rent.” Zion nodded as he saw the bathroom light flick on. “I doubt he’ll come up here this early,” Molten said, taking another sip of his coffee.

After another while in silence, Zion looked up. “Who was he?” He asked in now more than a whisper. Molten wet his lip.

“Who?” He asked, though he knew quite well _who_ Zion was referring to. Zion looked at him with a _you know who_ look.

“An ex of mine,” said Molten. Zion looked at him, curious why he was so scared of this ex-boyfriend of his. “I was nothing more than a toy to him,” Molten continued, looking down. “I met him at a bar a week after I finished my first year of college last summer. We got on OK,” he seemed to snort amusingly. “Y’know the joke about wanting a strong masculine figure inside you? Well, that was him. We met up a few more times that week until I brought him back here one night and... That’s when it started, I guess. Every spare moment he had.... “ He abruptly fell quiet. His hand shook nervously. He took a long breath.

Zion’s ears fell back, concerned. He put a hand on Molten’s. He forced a smile.

“He was pretty aggressive and so controlling,” he said, feeling Zion stroke his thumb on the back of his hand. “If I _made too much noise_ , he’d grab his belt and wrap it around my muzzle.” He brought a hand up to his muzzle and tilted his head to the side, light catching the faint outline of the scar on the right joint of his muzzle and face. He rubbed his hand on the mark. “The buckle often cut my scales,” he swallowed hard. He lowered his hand and tried to relax. Zion reached across the table and stroked Molten’s cheek. He looked back at him, taking Zion’s hand and kissing his palm.

Zion smiled softly and let his hand fall after Molten let go of it. “I’m sorry,” he said. Molten took both of his hands in his.

“Don’t be,” he said, stroking Zion’s hands with his thumbs.

“How did you break up with him?”

Molten took a breath. “I didn’t—I just left and stayed in CJ’s apartment for a few days, when I came back he was gone, so I changed the lock on the door,” he gestured his head to the front door behind him, “and tried to forget about him,” .

Zion nodded and looked at his own drink. Molten brought one of Zion’s hands up to his mouth, kissing the back of his hand. He lowered his hand and let his them go. He yawned, though he tried to hide it; he knew no amount of caffeine would make up for his two hours worth of sleep.

“Go back to bed,” said Zion, catching onto his yawn.

Molten nodded and left his mug in the sink. Zion drained off his own coffee before placing the mug beside Molten’s almost full one. Zion moved closer to him, putting his arms around Molten. He reached up, leaning towards Molten’s ear.

“You’re stronger than anyone I know,” he whispered. The statement made Molten swell with pride, making him smile. Zion pecked him on the lips. He moved his hand up onto Molten’s chest, the tips of his fingers settling on his firm peck. “Now, I believe you promised me an action-packed(i) night,” he said.

Molten’s cheeks flushed. But Zion didn’t wait for an answer. The way he saw it, Molten needed a distraction, and he was going to give him one. He took his hand in his and dragged him into his bedroom and towards the bed. He stopped by it and gestured Molten to lie down. He did so, but before he could reach for the covers, Zion knelt on top of him and kissed him rather forcefully, but passionately. Molten didn’t kiss back. After they broke apart, Molten looked up at his mate.

“Zion, what are you doing?” He asked breathlessly.

Zion ran his hand down Molten’s arm. “Giving you a distraction,” he said, kissing his jawline. He made his way down Molten’s body, moving onto his neck and chest.

As he neared the drake’s abs, Molten tried to stifle another yawn, Zion didn’t see. Molten’s eyelids fell heavily downward. Even though he felt the pleasure—and he was enjoying it—he didn’t have the energy to let his heart race or to encourage Zion to continue. When Zion heard nothing come from the drake, even as he used some pleasure techniques he had picked up, he looked up, seeing Molten’s peaceful face tilted to the side. He smiled and shook his head before leaning forward and kissing his forehead.

“Sweet dreams,” he whispered.


	16. Ch. 15 Lakeside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten brings Zion to Lakeside, where Zion gets proper "welcome to the family".

Molten’s shoulders burned as he carried the hefty turntable out of the disco hall with CJ. He continued to walk backwards as he exited the tall double-doored arch out of the concert hall and into the bright sunlight of the mid-June sun. The nap Zion had insisted on had done him good; his headache was gone had he wasn’t surviving on coffee. He looked over his shoulder to see the welcoming sight of his parents’ dusty Citroen Picasso. He heard someone open the boot of the seven-seater and he and CJ slid the turntable into it, seeing the collapsed seats in the boot. Molten took off his glasses and rubbed the sweat off his face.

“What’s left?” Flame asked as Molten put back on his glasses.

“My two speakers,” replied Molten, looking up at the bright sun. A black hand slapped him on the shoulder.

“Haven’t seen this dork in _years_ ,” said Blaze. Molten snatched his hand and held it back above his younger brother’s shoulder, getting a small painful cry from his younger sibling.

“In that case, you can handle both speakers yourself,” said Molten, turning around from the car fully and getting a pouting look from his brother. He heard CJ chuckle as Blaze looked at their sire with the same pout. When he didn’t get any sympathy, he trudged into the hall, his head hanging. Molten fixed his black vest and walked towards the open double doors, following Blaze.

“Is he _really_ worth it?” Molten heard Zion ask from his spot by his Audi.

Molten shrugged. “He’s my brother. Besides, I can barely carry one.” He walked into the corridor and then took a right, standing at the end of the hall. It seemed much bigger on the inside than on the outside.

Blaze walked up to the right of the stage, kicking aside pieces of confetti and streamers with each stride. Molten headed for the other side. On the stage was a painted wooden box, about 3 feet long and a half foot tall. One each side of the box was a speaker, both belonging to Molten.

Blaze looked towards him and then down the hall. “So how’s the _chosen one’s_ life?” He asked, leaning on the speaker.

Molten shrugged. “Not too different to the dating life,” he looked to Blaze. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Just interested,” he said, keeping his head low and digging his fingers in under the speaker. Molten looked back at the speaker before him and did the same, then headed out towards the door. He and his brother lay the three-foot-long speakers in the boot beside the turntable.

“So, to yours?” Said Flame getting into the car.

“Yep,” Molten said, heading for his car.

***-*-*-***

“So, what is _Lakeside_ again?” Asked Zion. He had changed into a red crop top—the colour he was supposed to wear as Prince of Roania—and navy swimming shorts. After they had put the speakers back in Molten’s music room—a room dedicated to his speakers, turntable and his vinyl and basketball trophy collection—the two of them were invited to Lakeside, along with Zion’s sisters in Wyrmia.

Molten looked at him from his spot behind the steering wheel. “It’s a private lake that belongs to my grandparents.” He started looking back to the road. “And because their not in Shovania, we get to go whenever we want. And with the weather so good, it would be a shame if we didn’t go,” he said, slowing his speed and turning down a lane. “And it’s near where we met,” he added. The trail was mainly dirt and dying plant material. Either side of the road was a wall of spruce trees, blocking out most of the sunlight and giving the scene an eerie feel.

Zion looked out his partially opened window. “Not _so good_ now,” he said grimly.

“Just wait, Horse Boy. Just wait,” Molten replied, not even hiding his smirk.

“Horse Boy?!” He exclaimed, insulted. “Oh, you Mr Flarescales have another thing coming!” He said knocking Molten on the shoulder. Molten looked at him, gaping falsely. He kept one hand on the wheel and hit Zion back. Zion took Molten by the jaw and made him look at him, then kissed him suddenly. “You and your nicknames,” he said, pissed off as he sat back in his seat. Molten just laughed. Zion looked aside.

“I know you like it,” he teased.

Zion snorted. “Just don’t call me _that_ or anything else in front of others, alright?” He said, looking back at him.

“Of course!” Molten said over-enthusiastically. “I wouldn’t dare embarrass my Horsey in front of other people,” he said, getting another pissed off snort from Zion, making him laugh. A few moments later they emerged into a bright clearing. There, they saw CJ’s car and Molten’s parents’ car. “I take it you called your sisters about coming here,” said Molten as he pulled up.

“Yes, I did,” Zion sighed, unbuckling himself. When they both got out of the car, Zion got a warm welcome from Jasmine and Firestrike, and a shy look from Ember—which he got rid of with the offer of a slice of candy fruit, a common fruit found in Roania. Molten went straight for the boot of his car, grabbing a bag of... something. He winked at CJ as he shut the boot door. His family started their way toward the lake, CJ following them.

As he followed, Zion walked beside him. “You better not say anything,” he warned.

“Zion, it was a joke,” Molten said, bumping into Zion and putting his arm around him. He locked his car as they walked. The lake was... On the small side; it was about a hundred meters in radius with a jetty reaching from what little sand and shingle was on the shore into the water that was a maximum of four feet deep. Molten went over to one side of the jetty and grabbed a towel from the top of the bag, laying it down on the sand.

Zion glanced in the bag, seeing three red, blue and green super water guns. _What a child,_ he thought to himself with a smile as he sat on the towel.

After a while, Ember came over to Zion and Molten, wanting to see unicorn magic, so Zion entertained her with a gold animation of a unicorn prancing around and another animation of a pegasus flying. Mostly, the family stayed talking amongst themselves. Until Molten disappeared. He was gone for the better part of 10 minutes before he re-emerged from the trees. He set down the blue and green water guns by the edge of the trees, keeping the red one in hand. He took aim and pulled the trigger of the pistol, spraying his sister first on the back.

Firestrike let out a shriek and got to her feet quickly. Molten then aimed for Blaze, spraying him on the chest after his sister shrieked. Both siblings ran towards Molten in fury. He dodged aside quickly, running on to the sand as his siblings grabbed their water guns and aiming for their brother. CJ made his way over to Zion as Molten ran for the jetty.

“It’s an old sibling rivalry tradition,” he said into Zion’s ear as Blaze screamed like a little girl. “Every summer they’d try to get into as many water fights as possible, to see who’d win.” He said, chuckling as Molten squealed as both of his siblings sprayed him.

The water fight lasted 10 minutes, entertaining the five that weren’t involved in the siblings battle—though they got hit too from time to time. Firestrike was the first to run out of water. She sat back down on her towel. Ember ran over to her and hugged her drenched red _Just Do It_ t-shirt.

“You did good, Mummy,” she said. Firestrike smiled and looked at her brothers.

“C’mon Molten!” She shouted encouragingly. Blaze stood near the end of the jetty, near the water as his spray of water crossed Molten’s, Molten stood across from him, that bit nearer to the shore. Both guns felt light. Then Blaze’s spray died out; empty. He gave Molten a nervous smile. Molten just grinned victoriously and dropped his gun. A faint outline of a luminous blue cocoon swirled around him and he crouched.

“Great,” Blaze muttered. Molten pounced for his brother, both shifting to their beast forms and landing in the water, rising the water’s edge as they wrestling. Zion looked at Molten, in his beast form on top of his brother, who was only seen because of his legs being above the surface. He’d known that they hadn’t ever gotten along much in the past, but he couldn’t help but think he had gone a bit too far. He was about to get up when CJ stopped him.

“Molten’s no psychopath, Zion. He’s just messing around with him. It’s something all males do if they have a rival—usually their brother.” CJ assured. Zion looked over at Molten’s parents. Flame nodded to confirm CJ’s explanation.

“Then how’s he surviving so long underwater?” Zion asked.

“Gills,” CJ said. “They’re behind our horns and are only active when we’re in our beast forms.” He finished, running his fingers through his long dark hair.

Molten finally got off his brother, walking through the water, his scales wet and shimmering as he made his way closer to shore. Blaze got himself to his feet. His primary colour was black—like his anthropomorphic form, with simple cobalt stripes on his neck, back and tail with no bony plates, unlike his brother. He looked at Molten and lowered himself into a crouch. Molten heard him but played along. _He wants something_ , he noted. As Blaze pounced Molten turned himself so he’d land on his back—which he did.

 _Make it quick,_ he said, looking at Blaze’s eyes, which were a copy of his own—or rather their dam’s—through the thin layer of water, though his snout was above the water.

Blaze’s gaze lowered for a moment. _I need to talk with you_ , he said. _Soon_. He paused and let out an audible sigh. _Please?_

 _Fine,_ Molten said, trying to sound more pissed off than he was as his tail flicked back and forth. He pushed him off and stood up, shifting to his anthropomorphic form and walking towards the shore. Blaze shifted to his own form. Both of their clothes were soaked. CJ walked back over to his own towel.

“Congrats, Champ,” he said, sitting back down. Molten snorted.

“Thanks,” he said, nudging Blaze as he started off towards his spot. While the rest of the family went back to what they were discussing before, Molten looked to Zion and gestured for him to come over with his finger. As Zion got to his feet, Molten peeled off his shirt and threw it down. He brought Zion to the jetty, standing on the end. Molten looked back. He was feeling bold after his victory and wanted to see how far he could push his luck with Zion. He saw that Firestrike was now showing off the upper part of her bathing suit while Blaze was topless like himself. Blaze smirked at him.

“Are ya gonna fully welcome him to the family?” He shouted, not hiding the smile in his voice.

“What’s he talking about?” Zion asked warily.

Molten just laughed. “Gods, I hate him when he spoils things,” he said. He placed a hand on Zion’s shoulder and pushed him off balance, sending him into the water. “Welcome to Lakeside,” he said, seeing Zion’s scowl hovering above the water. Zion wrapped a gold ring of magic tight around Molten’s wrist and dragged him into the water.

“Karma, bitch,” he said smugly, but not loud enough for anyone else to hear. Molten snorted, releasing a small plume of smoke through his nostrils. Zion coughed and drew in a mouthful of water, which he shot at Molten. Molten glared at him.

“Fuck you,” he said, insulted. He pulled Zion closer and kissed him. When Zion melted into it, he broke away and walked off, leaving the unicorn there. He looked back at Zion with a smirk. Zion snorted and dropped his ears, but he didn’t follow, he just floated there, enjoying the coolness of the water compared to the 30° Celsius he was in a few moments ago.

Molten sat on his towel and looked at Zion, then to Blaze. _Yo,_ he called telepathically, getting his attention. He made his way over. As Blaze settled on the towel, three new figures emerged from the trees; Mona, Kate and the dark colt from the gig the night before. “Welcome to Lakeside,” Molten said. Kate shot him some finger guns, Mona and placed their towel on the sand. Molten looked to the colt. “I’m Molten,” he said, reaching up with an open hand to him. “And you are...?”

“Noir,” said the colt. “I’m a close friend of Prince Zion’s,” he explained, shaking Molten’s hand.

“Pleasure,” Molten said, retracting his hand and looked to Blaze as Noir sat near to the sisters. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

Blaze looked aside.

“I know I need to change,” he started. "But I don’t know where to start."


	17. Ch. 16 Switched Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten and Zion decide to change up their 'positions' ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !NSFW Warning!

Zion grabbed Molten’s jaw as they continued their heated moment; in each other’s mouths and feeling around each other’s bodies. They moved towards the door of Molten’s home. They had come back from another one of Molten’s gigs and Zion was eager to ‘go to bed’.

“Come on!” Zion urged, proving he really was excited for him, though Molten already knew that—because of the bulge in Zion’s pants. He leaned against the door, waiting for Molten to unlock it.

“I’m trying!” Molten said, slipping the key into the lock, unlocking the door. When the door opened he was pulled quickly inside by Zion, so quickly he barely closed the door again.

Zion continued to pull him towards his bedroom, his hands on the back of his neck. Once inside the room, Zion spun Molten around, so Molten would walk backwards onto the bed. As soon as he hit the duvet, Zion prepared to mount him, never separating, all the while Molten removed his shorts and shirt. Zion put his hands on Molten’s wrists and held them above his head.

“Controlling,” Molten stated in between kisses.

Zion didn’t respond, he just moved his lips downward, kissing his neck. Molten gasped in ecstasy as Zion moved down more, slipping his hands into the back of Molten’s underwear—which he slipped off without a moment’s hesitation. He stood back for a moment and marvelled at the sight of Molten’s naked body; every inch of him was perfect. Molten’s chest rose and fell quickly as his heart continued to race.

“You better get back here and finish what you’ve started,” he warned through his heavy breathing. Zion slipped off his shirt and Molten changed to his human form, wanting to change it up a bit. Zion changed to his own human form as he moved back towards the bed. Molten separated his legs, letting Zion get in between them. Zion looked at him, surprised by the move. Molten smirked.

“Take the hint, Zee,” he said, looking smug. Zion bit his lip.

“Very well,” he said, though he was looking forward to being top again. He leaned down, kissing Molten’s lips as he pushed the head into him.

Molten threw his head back; it had been a long time since he had taken any date without lube. Zion nipped at his neck as he slid further into him. Molten found him easy to take. He just needed to stay calm. Zion settled inside of him and stood there for a moment, feeling how warm Molten was.

“Oh, it feels nice to top someone again,” he said in a relieved tone.

“Wow. Fuck you too,” Molten replied, sitting up.

“Not tonight,” he grabbed Molten’s chin, “Daddy.”

“How—?” He was cut off by Zion slamming into him suddenly. He lifted his head with a groan. Zion kissed his jaw.

“But I will admit, I do like having you inside me,” he whispered. He left a hickey on Molten’s neck and put a leg around him. He kept his pace at a comfortable one, for now, getting moans from Molten; which he found odd. “It’s just nice to change it up a bit. Isn’t it, Daddy?” he whispered in a breathy tone.

Molten moaned. “Just shut up and fuck me,” he demanded, grabbing Zion’s cheeks and pulling him down with him.

***-*-*-***

Molten’s eyes flickered open. He felt Zion’s head on his chest as the morning sunlight streamed in from above. He looked down at the unicorn and rubbed his shoulder. He planted a kiss on his forehead.

“Five more minutes,” Zion moaned. Molten laughed.

“Was my ass just that good?” He joked, putting his arm around him.

“Maybe...” He replied, his eyes still closed. “Now, let me sleep,” he said, snuggling up to Molten. He smiled and pecked him on the head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I didn't think this through very well?


	18. Ch. 17 Sweet Treats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Halloween and Zion wants to dress up just for Molten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !NSFW warning!

Molten walked passed the kitchen table and grabbed another piece of chewy candy from the bright orange jack-o’-lantern bowl that sat in the middle of it. It was Halloween, the 31 of October, just like every other year. He wore a black hoodie and jeans to keep himself warm.

It was around midday and the autumn cold had already crawled into his cold cottage—he was already starting to wear fluffy pyjamas, which no one else ever saw. Not even CJ, with whom he was still sharing the home with.

“If you keep eating the sweets, we’ll have nothing for the Trick or Treat-ers,” CJ stated, taking a piece of his own.

“If you keep sleeping with my sister under the same roof as me, I’ll have to kick you out.” Molten replied with the same blank voice.

“You said you were ok with it,” CJ said, “so that’s on you.” Molten turned around.

“Not every second night,” he shot back.

“It’s not _every second_ _night_. Besides, I thought you’d understand, having your own chosen one and all,” CJ said.

“Don’t bring me and Zion into your _straight couple_ stuff.” He sighed. “I’m not against you two being together—if anything I’m happy ‘Strike has found someone as decent as you, just... do it somewhere else, alright?” He said, draining off the last of his morning mocha. He placed it in the sink as the Halloween themed doorbell out front ran. His brow furrowed as he wondered who it might be. He looked to CJ, who shrugged.

Molten made his way towards the front door and opened it. On the other side was Zion, dressed in a dark jumper and pale scarf.

“You and your surprises,” Molten muttered.

“Happy Halloween to you too,” Zion replied, reaching up to peck Molten on the cheek.

CJ sighed audibly and passed the two, heading towards his dusty Volkswagen Golf. “We’re not done with that,” he stated.

Zion looked at Molten. “Don’t ask,” Molten said dryly. Zion shrugged and headed inside.

***-*-*-***

“Finally,” Molten sighed. It had gone past 9, and they had run out of sweets. He slouched into the sofa, right beside Zion, in front of the stove fireplace and the on-wall TV. The opening credits to The Nightmare Before Christmas ended as he put his arm around Zion.

“What did you think of the take out?” Molten asked, dimming the lights with a small remote and placing it on the table. Food in Wyrmia had a lot more flavour than Roanian food—in Molten’s opinion.

“Different,” he said, “but nice.” He cuddled into Molten’s side. “By the way, I’ll have something for you later,” he whispered, teleporting a bowl of warm popcorn onto the coffee table.

“And what type of something is that?” Molten asked, seduced.

“You’ll see,” Zion replied smugly.

Over an hour later, when the movie was finished, Zion disappeared as Molten cleared up the sitting room, popping the kernels with his fire breath and eating them.

 _Come to the bedroom..._ Zion said in Molten’s head, seductively.

Molten brought the bowl back to the kitchen and headed towards the bedroom. When he opened the door, Zion wore a red and white cheerleader outfit, consisting of a crop top and skirt. Molten’s cheeks flushed a dark shade of blue. “Fuck,” he whispered, feeling himself get hard. He had always liked Zion’s curves, and he had always found skirts arousing—no matter the gender of the person who wore them.

Zion giggled and came closer, closing the door with his gold magic. “Someone seems excited,” he teased, putting a hand on Molten’s bulge.

“Fuck you,” Molten said.

“Well, that’s kind of the plan,” Zion smirked, putting Molten’s hand on his hips.

Molten put his arm around Zion’s waist. “You better finish what you started,” he said, bringing him closer.

“I plan to,” he replied. He turned around and Molten brought him back towards him, so his bulge rested in between Zion’s cheeks. He kept his hands on his hips. He could feel an undergarment under the skirt and picked at it with his nail.

“Take it off,” he whispered, “I want you bare under that skirt,” he said, kissing Zion’s neck.

“Yes, Daddy,” Zion whispered back, letting out a whimper. Molten moved back as he reached under the skirt and slipped off a red thong. He dropped it on the floor and pressing himself against Molten. “It feels nice to have that off,” he sighed, practically grinding on Molten.

Molten smirked. “Prince colours all the way, huh?” He placed his hands on Zion’s hip. Zion groaned and grabbed the back of his neck, Molten slid one hand up Zion’s torso, under his crop top.

“I like to keep it _traditional_ ,” Zion teased. Gold magic wrapped around his horn as he chanted something in Roana tongue—the Magic Language mages called it. Zion removed his clothes, and Molten felt a sudden chill as the cool air of his bedroom hit his scales. A shiver ran through him, just before Zion pressed himself against his scales.

Molten started by kissing Zion’s neck and nipping at it, getting soft moans from him. Zion moved his hand from his neck to his cheek. “Lay on the bed,” Molten ordered. Zion did as he was told and sat on the bed. He sat with his knees bent and separated. As Molten got near him, he saw a clear viscous liquid ooze from his hole. He gave him a questioning look.

“I’m all prepared for you, Daddy,” he said seductively. Molten leaned in and captured his lips.

“Are you ready for a ride, Horsey?” He asked in a teasing tone.

Zion moaned. “Always for you, Daddy.”


	19. Ch. 18 Holiday Season

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's winter and both Roania and Wyrmia have some different traditions

**Song:[ _Christmas Stuff_ by Nathan Carter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABPX3yZqo1s)**

“Well, the holiday comes from over a thousand years ago when dragons helped most of Roania survive a great famine. Hence the reason it’s called the Feast of Generosity,” Zion explained. He had got Molten to come back over to Roania, just two weeks before his Christmas exams started, to have him join in on the end-of-November Roanian celebration.

“And even after the war, you still celebrate it?” Molten asked as he walked down the stairs to the castle’s dining room. He had dressed up in a black suit and white shirt, though he felt bad for wearing jeans to the feast, seeing as it was so important to his boyfriend and his people.

“Yes,” Zion replied bluntly, unsure of why Molten asked such a question. “Just because we blamed Wyrmia for starting the war—whether or not it was an accident—doesn’t mean we forget about how Wyrmia aided us in the past.”

Molten lifted his chin understandingly. “Riiiight,” he said, accepting that this holiday meant a lot to the people of Roania.

He tugged on the jacket of his suit. “Do I look acceptable?” He asked Zion. Zion took a quick scan of his outfit—he wore a red tailcoat jacket, white shirt, neckerchief and suit trousers. Very formal.

“Eh... Yeah, pretty much.” He stopped by the doors to the dining room. “Ready to join us in this Roanian feast?” He asked, reaching for the handle on the door.

Molten fixed his hair in the reflection of the chequered tiles beneath him.

“You look fine,” Zion insisted. He fixed his jacket a bit and pecked him on the lips. “I promise.”

Molten paused and looked down at Zion. “All right,” he drew in a breath, “I’m ready.”

***-*-*-***

“Just remember, _you_ wanted to see how Wyrmia celebrated Christmas,” Molten said, pulling up outside his parents’ home.

“I still don’t see why I have to wear this though,” Zion complained, pulling down his navy Christmas jumper to inspect it, with its centrepiece white snowman with a red hat and buttons sewn on as, and falling snow in the background.

“It’s part of _our_ tradition,” Molten said. “And it’s for a bit of fun.”

“You say that because you have a reindeer on yours with a bright red pompom. It’s cute... That and you’re used to it,” Zion said, mimicking a posture of a child told that had to do something they didn’t want to.

Molten shook his head. “And I thought I was a big child,” he muttered. “At least help me carry in the presents.”

Zion nodded.

***-*-*-***

“You’re such a sore loser,” Molten said as Zion pouted, having lost another game of table hockey to Molten.

Zion stood on the other side, his arms folded and head high. “Am not.”

Blaze laughed, the sound echoed through warm the basement. Molten placed his puck on the table and walked over to the pool table, taking a sip from his bottle of beer.

“Yeah, yeah.” Molten sat down on one beanbag in front of the old TV, hooked up a Wii console and his Xbox console which he’d brought over. Blaze and CJ had finished a round of Mario Kart.

“Ready to face the champ of this game, CJ?” Called Firestrike, already taking Molten’s spot at the table.

CJ sighed dramatically. “I suppose.”

“Good luck,” Blaze said, handing Molten the other controller.

Zion moved in beside them.

“You’re on,” Molten said, starting up his character.

Gaming with Zion was an interesting experience. He was good but violent; even in a game like Mario Kart. Both of them were determined to win the races they chose. Eventually Molten had to let him win, so they could get down to dinner.

“Ha!” Zion shouted, jumping to his feet. Molten stifled a laugh.

“All right, I admit it, you’re good.”

“You know it, Flarescales.” Molten chuckled and got to his feet, just as Jasmine called them for dinner.

***-*-*-***

“And here he is when he joined secondary school,” Jasmine said, showing the picture of Molten’s first year class to Zion. He was about twelve, maybe thirteen. His fringe wasn’t as long and his build wasn’t as strong. Actually, he was nowhere near as fit as he was now. He was a plump boy, chubby all over. Zion wondered why he had never seen pictures of Molten when he was young. This was the first time he had seen Molten when he was young. Was he embarrassed about it?

It had been a few hours since the Christmas dinner. They had filled the room with music, laughter and the festive spirit all afternoon. The sun was fading now and the Christmas tree shone brightly, lots of gifts still waiting to be unwrapped.

Molten was at the sink, elbow high in suds as he washed the pots and dishes that had been used in the making of the festive meal. Blaze stood beside him, drying said dishes when Molten had finished with them.

“I think Mam is showing him the photo album,” he said, rubbing down the glass tray they had cooked the roast potatoes in.

“Which one?” Asked Molten, lifting out a small pot, not taking his eyes off his work.

“Yours.”

Molten paused for a moment. “Right,” he said, trying to lighten his mood with some humour. “Well, there’s nothing I can hide now, right?” He said, trying to laugh.

Blaze saw his mood drop. Usually, he would have ignored it and moved on with his chore, but he didn’t. After all, he was trying to reinvent himself. With both his siblings now dating their chosen ones, he needed to lure his own. He looked to his damp tea towel, so what better way to lighter his brother’s mood that with a bit of playtime.

He whipped Molten with the tea towel, dampening his light blue shirt. Molten paused, looking at his brother slowly, before hitting him with a mass of suds.

“You’re in for it now, you little prick,” he threatened under his breath. Blaze lifted his arms to shield his eyes from the suds. He hit Molten again with the damp cloth. Molten grabbed another tea towel from the counter and wet it in the water. He whipped Blaze across the chest with it.

“Hey! Mine’s not that wet!” He protested. He dipped his towel into the sink and whipped Molten back. they exchanged wet blows for a few minutes.

“Boys. Boys!” Their dam called. “I’d like to those dishes done soon.” She warned.

Molten sighed, a smile firm on his face, and placed his towel back on the counter. He and Blaze continued their chore. It was another while before they finished, but when they did, they treated themselves to another beer.

And then it was time for presents.

It was a quick ceremony of thank you’s and opening gifts. Within minutes, they covered the carpeted floor of the living room with torn Christmas wrapping paper. Zion sat on the armrest of the couch, leaning against Molten as he unwrapped what his family had given him; thinking about taking a few back home—if he could get his hands on them.

Soon after, most of the family disappeared to their rooms to experiment with the new gadgets. They left Molten and Zion in the living room. He cleaned up the beer bottle and cups strewn around the room. As he was putting some cups in the dishwasher, his favourite Christmas song came on the stereo, _Christmas Stuff_. he swung his shoulders to the beat and closed up the dishwasher.

Zion opened his mouth to tell him there was more to go into the machine, but Molten took the mugs from him and took his hands in his.

“What are you—?” He was cut off by Molten singing.

_"I wanna do Christmas stuff  
Just like we used to do  
when we were all little kids  
and Santa brought toys for me and you."_

He spun Zion around and he danced with him at a fast pace. Zion recognised it as a jive, from his ballroom lessons as a teenager.

_"I wanna build a snowman  
Find a tree and hang some lights  
Wanna get some mistletoe  
Make it Christmas eve every night  
Wanna present that no three or four  
Hang some holly on your door  
And throw little snow on the ground  
Just to make it right."_

Zion smiled as Molten sang along with their dance. They never lost their rhythm, they just kept going and Molten’s voice was as smooth as ever.

_"I wanna do Christmas stuff with you  
Maybe if we put cookies and milk  
You’ll never know  
We just might hear someone say ‘Ho Ho Ho’!"_

Molten spun him around again and started the last chorus.

_"I wanna do Christmas stuff  
Just like we used to do  
When we were all little kids and Santa  
Brought toys for me and you  
I wanna believe that just believing is  
Enough to make every dream come true  
I wanna do Christmas stuff with you  
Yeah, I wanna do Christmas stuff with you  
Yeah, I wanna do Christmas stuff   
With you."_

Molten pulled Zion in close, smiling.

“I love you, Molten,” Zion said, leaning up towards him.

Molten smiled. “I love you, too, Zion.” He pecked him on the lips, getting a kiss in return. “Merry Christmas.”


	20. Ch. 19 Drastic Measures (pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten makes a surprise visit the day before one of his concerts in Askal.

_Molten stepped off the treadmill in the Askal castle’s gym. Large dark patches of sweat covered his grey sports vest. He wiped his face as best as he could with his vest, though it was already dripping with sweat. His chest heaved as he walked over to his phone, which lay by the floor-to-ceiling window, linked up to the loud but small speakers on the walls. He picked up his phone and checked some messages as the music continued to play. As he scrolled through them, the door to the gym opened and a set of hoofbeats followed. He looked up from his phone as a set of arms wrapped around him. He knew the hold, though they’d only been dating a month._

_“Morning,” he smirked, turning around and placed his hands on his side, facing Zion. He wore a shirt and trousers—a common outfit he wore._

_“Why didn’t you call me?” Zion asked. “I wanted to see you work out.”_

_Molten gave him a sceptical look. He opened his mouth, only to close it again. He took Zion’s hand and led him off towards the mirrored side of the gym. He held Zion close and pulled him into a kiss. As he did so, he took a picture of their reflection in the mirror._

_He separated from Zion and showed him the picture. “Do you want me to post this?” He asked._

_Zion looked down for a moment. “Yeah,” he said, turning around and walking off. “But Insta only, ok?”_

_Molten nodded. “Sure... Insta,” he said, embarrassed that Zion called it_ Insta _._

***-*-*-***

_He’ll kill me if he knows I posted this_

Was the caption on the Instagram post of his and Zion’s announcement picture, the one they had posted over a year ago. Molten looked up from his phone. He was parked in the middle of a late evening traffic jam, stuck at the inner Askal City traffic lights. He had just finished his last year of college, and he was happy to have those goddamn exams out of the way. He tucked his phone away as the lights turned green. He made a right, driving towards the North Side of Askal. After several more minutes of stopping and starting at lights, Molten finally saw the back entrance to the castle, driving down the wide road lined with tall oak trees either side.

The guards sat in their stations as he slowed down in front of the electric gates. One of them looked to his car and nodded to his partner. A few moments later, the gate opened. Molten had been back and forth between Askal and Shovania—as had Zion—for the past year, so by this stage, he knew most of the guards pretty well.

He drove onto the gravel, noticing the sound change when he left the tarmac road. He trundled up the drive and parked his Audi near the door, but not directly in front of it. He parking it beside the family’s silver Rolls Royce Ghost, which was their primary mode of transport. He reached back for his bag and lifted it onto his lap, digging around for the gift he had got Zion. Then he got out of the car, closing the door with a quiet _bang_. He strolled toward the steps at the entrance of the castle and jogged up to them before knocking three times and having the door opened by the doorman.

After granting him a good evening, Molten started on the stairs, up to the second floor, lined with bedrooms on either side. He stopped about halfway down the hall and faced the door on the left; Zion’s room. He knocked twice, as not to give away it was him.

“Hmm,” he heard from the other side of the door. He kept his hand holding the gift behind his back and opened the door, strolling smoothly in as he heard the unmistakable soundtrack of Love, Victor, one of his new favourite shows. He saw a flat-screen TV on the wall, opposite the bed, where Zion sat, sucking in mint Aero Bubbles. He leaned against Zion’s built-in wardrobe, his short-sleeve shirt lifting a bit as he lifted his elbow above his head.

“Hey Babe,” he said smoothly, still hiding the gift. Zion looked at him. “Did you miss me?” He said, grinning. Zion pressed the pause button on the remote and ran over to his boyfriend, hugging him around the neck.

“I thought I was coming over to you?” He questioned, leaning back.

Molten put his free hand around Zion’s waist, supporting him. “Oh. Then I guess I’ll just leave,” he said, straightening Zion’s posture. Zion’s ears lowered, disappointed, and pulled Molten back down. He scooped Zion up onto his waist and gave him his gift: a Chocomantic chocolate bar, only available in Wyrmia.

“You know me all too well,” he said in response to the gift, laying his lips on his. Molten brought Zion over to the bed, placing him gently on it. Zion returned to his previous spot on the bed and opened the chocolate bar as Molten settled in beside him.

“Now, let’s get back to this,” Molten said, breaking off a piece of chocolate for himself and looking at the TV.

***-*-*-***

“Well, that was fun,” Zion groaned as he got out of bed, nude. Molten sat up in the bed, his bare chest above the covers.

“Yes it was,” he replied rather smugly. Zion looked back at him.

“Shall we share?” He said, gesturing to the bathroom with his head.

“As you wish,” he said with a light shrug, already getting out from under the covers.

***-*-*-***

Molten tugged his t-shirt on as the bathroom door opened. Out of it stood Zion, dressed in a snow-white bathrobe. He strode towards Molten, putting arms around him and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. Molten pecked him back as someone knocked on the door.

“Prince Zion?” Called a male voice from the other side.

“Noir!” Zion hissed. He tugged Molten towards the bathroom.

“Why are you hiding your boyfriend?” Molten complained.

“You’re the one who said he didn’t want my sisters to see him,” he reminded him, pushing him into the bathroom. “And I’m supposed to be going home with you in a couple of days.” He closed the door. “Come in!” He called, walking back over to his bed, tucking Molten’s bag in under the bed with his hoof. Noir walked in carrying a tray with a cup, saucer, a pot of tea and a plate of buttered toast.

“Good morning,” he greeted, resting the tray on Zion’s dressing table, beneath the TV. Zion hummed and reached for a triangle of toast. Noir moved towards the wardrobe, getting Zion’s outfit for the day ready.

“I take it you know Molten’s performing in Askal tonight,” he said, pulling out a shirt for Zion

“Yes, I do,” Zion responded, licking his fingers of the excess grease from the toast. Noir handed him his outfit.

“And you’re going?” He asked, taking a remote control off the desk and pressed a button, hiding the TV behind two panels that matched the colour of the walls.

“Yes,” Zion said bluntly, making his way behind the screen, changing outfits. Molten listened on the other side of the bathroom door.

Zion reappeared a few minutes later, his fur still partially damp.

“Do you know if he’s staying in Askal for a few days?” Noir asked, continuing the interrogation. Zion looked at him, his brow furrowed.

“Why are you asking me all this?” He asked, becoming agitated. Noir shook his head and gestured for Zion to turn around; the prince did so.

“You’ve been together for almost a year, and tradition is tradition.” He said, fixing Zion’s shirt collar. Molten knew what Noir was referring to. Zion let out an agitated sigh.

“Noir, you know it’s not that simple.” He said, turning around.

“How so?” He said, somewhat amused. Zion’s ears flattened.

“We’re of different species—both of which have only recently come out of war—“

“A war your sire and most of your generation look down upon,” Noir stated in a matter-of-factly way. Zion let out another agitated sigh.

“And what about titles?” Zion asked sharply, almost forgetting about Molten.

“You won’t be the first royal to be married to someone without a title,” Noir stated, keeping up his smug act. Zion didn’t respond. “And you don’t be the first equine to be married to a leviathan.” Zion was silent.

Noir exhaled. “All I’m saying is that you should talk to him about it, to make him understand that he is part of your family and that he needs to follow tradition.” Noir finished, looking to Zion’s dresser and picking up his silver crown with a line of rubies on the base and a pale sapphire on each of the twelve points, and placed it in its box for safekeeping. He started towards the door.

“Oh, and your sire would like to see you within the hour in the throne room.” He said, closing the door.

Molten thought back to the ring he had in his bag, in its velvet box, and how he was going to ask Zion’s sisters for help on how to plan the evening he would _pop the question_. It would not happen for a few weeks yet. That was when he was planning to do it.

Zion let out a long sigh and thumped his hoof on the ground, frustrated because Noir was right. He walked towards the door, glancing at the bathroom door before leaving the room, dodging his problems yet again.


	21. Ch. 20 Drastic Measures (pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After over a year of dating, Molten pops the question. But the next thing he remembers is waking up linked up to a heart monitor.

Zion stood on the Lover’s Bridge, looking out at the setting sun hovering on the surface of the Steed’s Sea. On the mesh railings of the bridge hung hundreds upon thousands of padlocks, each one representing a couple that had ‘tied the knot’ on this bridge. And how he wished he was one of them. He knew from the beginning that they were made for each other, but he also knew that Molten wasn’t planning on getting married anytime soon... whether or not there was a tradition in place. He focused on where the mouth of the river ran into the sea, as he heard someone else come closer on the bridge. He didn’t pay much attention, not until they stood beside him. He looked at the person’s hands; blue and scaly—Molten.

“I haven’t seen you all day,” he said, looking at Zion who was still focused on the body of water. Molten stayed looking at him.

“Probably because you’ve been setting up a concert in the Arena,” Zion stated in a low mumble.

“And you’ve been avoiding me,” Molten added. Zion looked to him.

“And?”

“I want to know why,” Molten said. This time he looked out at the water. He felt around his back pocket, feeling an open padlock and a ring box in it. Zion still didn’t respond.

“Listen, I knew about the tradition,” Molten said, looking at his reflection. Zion looked to him. “I have for a while,” he reached for the box, holding it in one hand for a moment. “And seeing as we have been dating for a year- _ish_ , and that we’re made for each other, I’d say now is a good time as any to follow the ‘year-after-meeting’ tradition.” He turned to Zion and got down on one knee, showing Zion a red velvet box.

“Zion Lindsay Baird Zirnen, will you do me the honour of marrying me? A year and two weeks after we met in that forest,” he looked up at Zion, who looked back at him stunned. He looked up at the other side of the bridge. There stood CJ, Lika, Mona, Kate, Sarabi and his sire Arryn, all waiting patiently—if you count Lika looking at her nails as being patient. He looked back down at the box. In it sat a white gold ring with a light blue stone. He looked back at the group on the other side, particularly to his twin Mona and his sire. Mona looked at him, smiling proudly and nodding her head continuously. While Arryn looked on proudly. Zion knew that he must have considered this moment _special_ if his sire had his wings showing, making him an alicorn for the time being. And he’d only show his wings if he considered something _special_. His furled light grey wings reaching over the top of his shoulders.

Zion processed this before looking down at Molten again, who was still on one knee, who hadn’t spoken, who hadn’t tried to rush him, who waited for the person who truly loved to say one of two words; _yes_ or _no_. He looked at his eyes, how they seemed to smile but begged for Zion’s response. He looked at the ring one last time.

“Yes,” he replied quietly. Molten looked at him. “Of course I’ll marry you,” he said as if he hadn’t kept Molten waiting on the bridge for a solid 2 minutes. Molten pushed himself to his feet and wrapped his arms around Zion. They melted into a passionate kiss. They parted so Molten could put the ring on his finger. He smiled down at it.

“You took long enough to reply,” Molten half-joked, half-complained. Zion smiled.

“Sorry, just had to make the right choice.”

***-*-*-***

Molten woke up, bleary-eyed and physically exhausted, like he’d worked out for hours and fallen into bed. He looked around as his vision cleared up, though it was still a little hazy without his glasses or contacts to help him see. He was in one of the guest bedrooms in the Askal Castle. Then he noticed it; the annoying sound of something beeping at the same constant pace. He looked to where he heard the sound; it came from a heart monitor, linked up to Molten. Then he noticed more things; like the glittery haze around his body, keeping him in his human form: the oxygen mask on his mouth; the cast on his upper arm; the thin layer of soot on his skin; and feeling like there was lots of phlegm around his voice box.

 _What the fuck happened?_ He asked himself, not remembering anything other than his proposal.

Then the door to the room opened. In came a young mare, dressed in a nurse’s uniform. She came over to him and without a word took out some needles and sensors were from Molten’s body. She replaced the more fixed oxygen mask with a less obstructive one. Molten followed her every move, wanting to ask so much but not knowing where to start. She then left, just as quietly as she had entered. Molten raised his arm and attempted to get her attention, only releasing a low croak through his layer covered voice box. She didn’t hear his croak and closed the door.

_What happened?_

***-*-*-***

Molten had had a few visitors come in and check on him, mainly doctors who changed his drip and checked on his oxygen intake. One nurse had been nice enough to allow him to communicate with him telepathically and to turn on the TV for him. According to news reports, that morning, when Molten would have been heading back to Wyrmia, a large thunderstorm had set forests ablaze and a lightning bolt had hit a wall that held back boulders in the valley that joined the two lands. Large amounts of destruction had occurred, but it injured very few. A few dragons tried to hold off some boulders while emergency services got across either side.

In the mix of it all, the royal family had shown up to help where they could. The unfortunate part was that Zion was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time; a boulder had slipped past the dragons on one of the valley’s walls and fell towards the prince, who had his attention towards the emergency crews. Molten wouldn’t have known about the boulder had something not sent a panic through him, a similar one to that when he had first met Zion... That much he could remember. According to the report, Molten had run from where he was holding a boulder off, on a leg that was broken in his beast form towards Zion and with the all the magic he had protected him from the boulder; that’s all the report could tell him.

Molten lay in the bed. After he had figured out that much he had one thing in mind: Zion. Had he saved Zion? Was he all right? Where was he? And why was Molten in one of the castle’s rooms rather than the hospital?

He closed his eyes for a little while. It was hard looking around while being half-blind. He was nearly back asleep when someone else came into the room. Molten opened his eyes a little, expecting it to be another doctor or nurse. Instead, he was surprised to see Mona and Arryn come in. He opened his eyes fully and turned to them.

“Go get him,” Arryn whispered to Mona. She nodded and left the room. Arryn came over to Molten. “Before I say anything else, I want to thank you. Yet again, you’ve saved him from near death. We really owe you,” he fell silent. Molten’s eyes softened and reached for the oxygen mask on his face.

“Is he alright?” He croaked.

Arryn nodded. “Yes, he’s fine.” Molten sighed with relief and coughed afterwards. He let the oxygen mask return to his face. The door opened again and Arryn looked to it before making his way out of the room. Molten sighed, feeling his throat burn. He swallowed hard, hoping to numb the pain.

Then the door opened again, and quick footsteps followed. Molten looked over and Zion sat on the bed. He looked at Molten’s arm and then moved up towards his soot-covered shoulder, neck and then towards his face. Everything about his face was dull, Zion could see he was in pain. He took his hand.

“Thank you,” he whispered, feeling a lump in his throat. He kissed Molten’s forehead, smelling the ash and soot still in his hair. Molten looked back at him.

“I had to do it,” he croaked, “I can’t imagine living without you.” Tears spilled from Zion’s eyes.

“How do you think I’m feeling now?” He added with a slight laugh, wiping away his tears. Molten forced a smile and reached for Zion’s cheek. Zion pressed his hand up it and held it there.

“I’m going to need your help with something,” he said.

“What do you need me to do?”

“My throat’s pretty much on fire,” Molten stated, followed with a dry cough. “And I know a quick method that should at least help with the pain.”


	22. Ch. 21 The Price to Pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten begins to recover from the accident, as he recovers he starts to realise the price left on his strength.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !Slight NSFW!

“Y’know, I hate you sometimes,” Zion said, tugging his belt to tighten it around his waist and buckling it into place.

Molten cleared his throat. “That’s not what you were saying a few minutes ago,” he smirked. Who knew unicorn semen could be so effective at clearing throats of not only slimy substances, but pain.

Zion looked at him, ignoring his remark. “Did it work?”

“My mouth, or your cum?” Molten grinned, looking up at him. Zion snorted, his ears low, not appreciating Molten’s jokes. He took the hint. “Well, I can talk,” he said, giving Zion his hand. Zion placed his hand in his, smiling softly.

“I’ve been worrying about you for the past two days.” He started. “Worrying about whether you’d wake up; whether I’d get to hear your voice again...” He fell silent and sat on the bed. Molten gave him a comforting smile and ran his thumb over Zion’s knuckle, running over his engagement ring. Zion smiled back at him, cradling his mate’s cheek.

“I love you very much, Molten. I really, really do... And I _can’t_ lose you,” His voice left him as he felt another lump form in his throat, though he had no more tears left to cry; all he’d done was cry since the accident.

“You won’t,” Molten assured, bringing his hand to his lips. “And I can’t lose you either,” he continued stroking his hand and giving him a soft smile of comfort.

***-*-*-***

Molten sighed loudly as he sunk into the hot bathtub, relaxing his scaly body—all but his right arm, which rested on the lip of the bathtub to keep the cast dry. He had just come out of a mild shower, to wash off the soot and dirt still on his body. Zion had helped him all the way, and the warm air of the bathroom had helped his breathing.

Zion stepped into the water and sat beside Molten.

“It’s nice to be clean,” Molten sighed, putting his arm around Zion.

“I bet it is; we spent a good while in there trying to get off all the dirt,” Zion said, moving around to find the right position. Molten put his arm around him and kissed his head.

“Thank you,” he whispered, trying to lift Zion’s thigh off the floor of the bathtub—as wide as the bathtub was, he wanted Zion on his lap.

“It’s the least I could do,” Zion said, taking Molten’s hint. He scooted onto Molten’s lap, leaning against Molten’s chest and resting his head on his shoulder. Molten kissed his head and released a purr as he rubbed his head against Zion’s.

***-*-*-***

“How are you feeling today, future husband?” Zion asked as he stopped by Molten’s bed, bearing a tray of Nutella on toast and tea. Molten sat up in his bed.

“Ok, but still feeling a bit worn,” he said. It had been a few days since he’d woken up and his strength hadn’t fully returned yet.

Zion placed the tray on his lap and sat on the bed. “Oh, yeah?”

“Don’t mock my injuries,” Molten said, acting hurt. “If it weren’t for me—“

“—Yes, I know, I wouldn’t be alive,” Zion said, cutting him off. “And I’m very grateful, My Hero,” he said, leaning in and pecking Molten on the lips. Molten smiled and shook his head. “So, what do you mean by _worn_?” He asked. Molten looked down at his hands. He lifted a hand and clicked his finger. Small blue sparks flew from his fingertips.

“I think I’ve run out of magic...” He sighed, deflated.

Zion looked at him. He knew Molten had used up a lot of magic by trying to protect him... he just hoped that it wasn’t all of it.

“It’s only been a few days, I’m sure you’ll get your magic back soon.” He said lying a hand on Molten’s, in a hope to brighten his mood. He looked at him.

“Yeah... Yeah, I suppose, good things come to those who wait, right?” Molten replied and took a piece of toast from the tray.

***-*-*-***

“Get back to bed!” Zion ordered, pointing demandingly at the doorway behind Molten. They stood in the small self-service kitchen in the castle.

It had been over a week since Molten had woken up and he had finally found the strength to get out of bed and walk quietly down _two_ flights of stairs, only for Zion to stop him, who was already making him breakfast.

“I’ve been stuck in that bed _all_ week, I needed to get out of it,” Molten complained, ignoring Zion’s demands and walking over to the toaster.

“And the doctors said you need to take it easy,” Zion stated bluntly.

“I am,” Molten said in his smart tone.

“You walked down two flights of stairs. That isn’t what I call _taking it easy_.”

Molten reached for the half-empty jar of Nutella, grabbed a spoon and a knife from the cutlery drawer and waited for the toast to pop up. “I can run over five K on a treadmill, and that’s my usual three-times-a-week workout.”

Zion huffed. “Fine, but I want you back in bed before the doctors come to check on you,” he stated firmly as if he were his mother when Molten would have a sick day.

Molten grinned to himself in success and layered on Nutella on his toast. He held the grin as he walked past Zion and pecked him on the cheek. “That’s a whole two hours,” he remarked as he left the room.

“Why did I let him win?” Zion asked himself.


	23. Ch. 22 New surroundings, New Inspiration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten and Zion finally get to move into their new house.

“Finally, a new place to call home,” Molten sighed happily, placing a box by his feet.

“And it’s all ours,” Zion said, hanging from Molten’s neck and leaning in for a kiss.

Molten laughed. “By _ours,_ I hope you’re considering our cat.”

“We’re adopting a corgi.”

“I am not adopting a dachshund crossed with a chihuahua,” Molten said. Zion let go of him. Molten picked up the box and walked up the stairs.

“We’re not done with this!”

The house was large, a two-storey white house with grey stone cladding on the centre part of the exterior. It had a conservatory-come-kitchen-dining area and a living room at one end and at the other was a study—which Molten was going to turn into a music room, for writing music and keeping his guitar, piano and any other equipment needed to create his “masterpieces”. He’d decorate it with posters and other music-related joys of his later.

It had a master bedroom and two other bedrooms along with four bathrooms, two of which were en-suite. They converted most of the attic for two bedrooms, but they were only going to use one room as a gym, leaving the other empty for now. They had already been decorating, having painters in and hiring people to help put in the furniture while one of them would aid in the process—or stand around depending on how Zion was feeling.

The stairs had two landings. The first led to the master and guest bedroom and the bathrooms upstairs, the second went up to the converted attic.

The ground floor comprised another guest bedroom, enormous bathroom, the kitchen, living room and Molten’s music room.

It was their dream home with enough space for family to stay, and for their future family to grow. Molten’s favourite part was the bay window in the living room, as he had always wanted one in the home, so everyone could see their Christmas tree. Zion’s was the jacuzzi around the back of the house—he was very much looking forward to relaxing in it after a swim in their outdoor pool.

***-*-*-***

Zion walked down the hall to Molten’s study. They’d been in the house a little over a week, but this morning, Zion hadn’t seen him. It was now 3-ish, and he was pretty worried. He held a caramel mocha in his hand, hoping to find out what exactly Molten was doing that was more important than spending time with his fiancé, who he had _all but lost his magic for_ almost a year prior.

Zion knocked on the door. “Molten?” He asked, leaning on the handle.

He didn’t get a response.

He drew in a breath and opened the door. Molten sat at a drum pad machine that was linked up to his soundboard and audio mixer. He had a set of headphones on, bopping his head ever so slightly as he listened to the unfinished work he’d created.

Zion walked towards the u-shaped trio of desks ahead, gently placing the glass on the desk Molten was at. He slid off his headphones, letting them rest on his neck.

“Thanks,” he said, taking a sip and licking off the cream moustache that was left behind.

“So, what’s with hiding away in here all day?” Zion asked, standing behind Molten and putting his hands down by his chest.

“Inspiration hit me,” Molten explained, leaning back and looking up at Zion.

“So, you’ve started on album number three?” Zion asked, looking back down at him, and nuzzling his fringe.

“Pretty much,” said Molten. “And once I get inspiration, I have to work with it.”

“So, how long will it take?”

“As long as I’ll have inspiration, I’ll be in here,” he said, almost longing that it wouldn’t be that way.

“Alright.” Zion sighed. “Just… try to take a break now and then, okay?” He asked.

“Yes, I will,” he replied, falsely sounding like Zion was ordering him around.

***-*-*-***

“Two weeks. Two _fucking_ weeks,” Zion swore. He was video-calling his twin, Mona.

 _“Ah, come on Zee, he needs to work on this... Or do you want a wedding?”_ She said, turning up the sass.

Zion sighed. “Don’t bring that into this.”

Mona laughed. _“Oh, don’t worry, I shall.”_

Zion shook his head and lowered his phone, hearing something come from the kitchen.

_“And fans—myself included—have been waiting for this album for over two years... What is it?”_

“Molten may have finally emerged from his creative trance,” Zion said. “Mind if I ring you back?... Probably sometime tomorrow?”

Mona winked. _“Sure thing. Just make sure he’ll be able to walk in the morning.”_

Zion’s cheeks flushed red before the picture on his phone paused as Mona hung up. He cleared his throat and put his phone down beside him on the black leather sofa. He heard the kitchen go quiet, but he could see that the light was still on. He stood up and walked down the short corridor. He opened the door to the kitchen, immersing himself in the light.

Molten stood in front of the window, looking out at the sun setting off in the distance behind the low-lying hills and tall trees. It was late summer, and the evenings were cool. Behind him was the kitchen and beside him was a piano, a grand piano to be exact—Zion had insisted they get one, Molten thought it was a preposterous idea.

Zion walked closer to him, his hand skimming the countertop of the island.

“How’s it going?” Zion asked, putting his hand on Molten’s arm.

“Well, I’m out of inspiration,” he said, looking down at Zion.

“So, you’re going to leave your drum machine and come back to your fiancé?” He asked.

Molten chuckled. “Yep, pretty much,” he said, picking Zion up. “And I’ve missed you,” he said, pressing his forehead against his.

“So... Does that mean we get to do something... intimate?” Zion asked, raising his eyebrows both seductively and curiously.

Molten laughed. “All right then,” he sighed dramatically. Zion yanked his arm and dragged him out of the room.


	24. Ch. 23 Fluffy Little Bundle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten and Zion go pet shopping. But what type of pet will they bring home?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so gaddamn short I kind of hate it

Molten looked in at kitten after cat after kitten, his eyes wide as he looked in at all the cute bundles of fur, if he had his way he’d adopted very one he saw. Zion, on the other hand, wasn’t in as much awe. He knew exactly what type of cat he wanted. He was looking for a grey and white one, as he had always wanted a grey and white corgi, and if he couldn’t get a dog, then he wanted a cat with the same colour scheme.

“This one?” Molten asked, stopping in front of the glass cage containing a year old grey tabby Maine Coon cat.

“Long-haired and hard to maintain,” Zion replied, looking in at another kitten. The couple were in the local rescue centre, looking at kittens to adopt.

They moved on for a bit, almost near the end of the hall, when a little _mew_ caught Molten’s attention. Molten looked towards the call. In the glass cage was a siamese rag-doll kitten with blue markings. It was about twelve weeks old and was standing on its hind legs, trying to get the couple’s attention.

“Zee?” Molten called, moving closer to the kitten, putting a finger opposite one of its paws on the glass.

Zion came closer. He saw Molten’s eyes smile at the kitten.

“He’s adorable,” Zion admitted.

Molten looked at him longingly.

Zion sighed. “Go on.” The kitten mewed again at them. Zion bent down to him, touching the glass. The kitten rubbed his head against the glass to nuzzle Zion’s hand. He cried in protest after feeling the hard surface.

***-*-*-***

“Hey, Bandit,” Molten said as the six-month-old kitten rubbed up against his leg. He was reading over some sheet music before his recording in Shovania Centre. He shouldered his overnight bag as Bandit mewed at him for attention.

“You forgetting anything?” Asked Zion, walking up to his fiancé.

“My goodbye kiss maybe?” Molten replied, stealing a kiss from Zion.

“Well, yes, but I think you’ll also be needing this,” he replied, handing Molten his phone.

“And you’d be right,” said Molten, taking his phone and pecking Zion on the lips again. He put the phone in his jacket pocket and headed out towards the door.

Bandit called for Molten as he walked towards the door. Zion picked up the kitten and with one hand waved his front paw. “Bye!” Zion said in a strange impersonating voice for the kitten. Bandit mewed a _bye_ at Molten.

“Bye!” Molten called back.

Zion lifted Bandit a little closer to him and kissed his forehead. “Let’s find something to watch, shall we?” Bandit purred loudly in response.

Zion strolled into the living room and lay Bandit on his blanket on the couch. Zion sat beside him and grabbed the remote. He scratched Bandit’s forehead and searched around for something decent to watch. Bandit purred and kneaded his blanket to get himself comfortable. He curled up into a ball and Zion stroked his fur. He purred in a constant pattern as he stroked him.


	25. Ch. 24 The Big Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten and Zion's wedding has finally arrived!

**First dance:  
** [ _**Taylor Swift - Lover** _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMtN4sOvhqY)

__**Cake idea  
[1](https://live.staticflickr.com/8244/8648190033_7587e625d6_b.jpg)  
[2](https://www.trendfrenzy.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/his-or-her-wedding-cakes-2.jpeg)**

Molten combed his damp hair slowly. Fireworks erupted in his stomach as the teeth ran through his strands of hair. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and black suit trousers—the most formal thing he had worn since Ember’s christening. He stared back at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. It was ten in the morning, just an hour before he’d be standing in front of the altar, waiting for his beloved Zion to arrive.

He thought back to his early days of being a DJ, how he’d often be around wedding parties. He remembered how happy the newlyweds looked, sitting side by side at their table. He hoped that Zion and he would be that happy today.

Once he felt he had fixed his hair enough, he entered his hotel room. On the bed lay his suit jacket, tie and a set of horn cuffs—a piece of jewellery worn by married dragons. This set was silver, with a gold band above below the silver on the band. An icy blue sapphire set in each, to match Zion’s engagement ring. The rings matched the wedding ring Zion would give Molten today—it just wouldn’t have a stone in it. Their ring bearer—Kate—had their wedding rings. It just so happened Zion forgot the horn cuffs. And by Roanain tradition, neither groom could see the other during the week up to the wedding. So Molten was _begging_ that fate would let them give the rings to Kate before the wedding began.

Molten picked up the white box and looked in at the velvet embraced jewellery. He blew on the cuffs and clicked his fingers. A small blue flame ignited between his fingertips. The silver and gold reflected the blue light shiningly, while the sapphire reflected it glowingly. He nodded approvingly at their shine and closed the box. He placed the box back down and started on his tie.

“Molten?,” called Flame from outside the room. “We’d better get moving soon; just remember that we still have to travel to Askel.” He strode into the room as Molten fiddled with the tie. He sighed quietly and did it for him. “You nervous?” he asked.

“A little,” Molten admitted.

“Good,” Molten looked at his sire, confused. “It means you care about him—” he pulled the knot tight “—and that you’re in love." Molten pulled on his jacket and Flame brushed it off. “Now, we better get going,” he said, grabbing the jewellery box and leaving the room.

“Right,” Molten whispered. He spun on the spot, looking around the room before leaving.

 _The next time I’ll be entering this room, I’ll be carrying Zion in my arms_.

***-*-*-***

Zion sat in front of his dresser, a hairdresser trimming his blonde strands. Under the hairdressing cape, he twiddled his thumbs, fighting the urge to mess with his hair out of nervousness. He allowed the hairdresser to finish and leave the room before standing up. He was nervous, excited and anxious. He _knew_ he loved Molten, and he knew Molten loved him. He just wasn’t sure if it was the right step. He was 25, Molten 24. A year after they had moved into their new house, two years since Molten proposed and three years since they’d met.

His thoughts interrupted as his sire entered the room. Already dressed in his best of royal suits.

“I knocked,” Arryn said.

“Sorry, I just...”

“Panicking?”

“... Yeah.”

“Don’t. I’ve seen how you two look at each other, how you are together. And I know for a _fact_ you’ll be both very happy today,” he said softly, fixing Zion’s white tie around his black shirt collar. “And I’m sure he’s just as nervous as you are right now.” He rested his hands on Zion’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug. “And I know she’d be happy for you.”

Zion knew who he was talking about; his dam, who was rarely ever mentioned. He gripped his sire a little tighter. “Thank you.”

And then they were interrupted by another knock on the door.

“That would be your maid of honour,” Arryn said, as he they released their embrace. “And don’t forget your crown,” he said, leaving the room.

As soon as her sire had left, Mona rushed into the room, seeing Zion in only his white suit trousers and black shirt.

“You jacket and tie?!” She exclaimed in a rush. “Have you seen the time?! And we still have to _get_ to the church through the massive crowd of people who want to see a royal wedding!” She was practically yelling at him.

“Alright, I’ll hurry.”

***-*-*-***

Molten stood in front on the huge white alter at the front of the Roanian church. A mass of mumbling echoed through the church filled with high lords of Roania, Molten’s family, and journalists. Compared to the Wyrmian churches, the stone wasn’t laced with gold wire embroidery or scattered with gems, instead it was engraved with messages in Old or New Roana—the native language of Roania—or basic tongue. There were also pictures from their religious book, which—after a bit of inspection on Molten’s part—wasn’t very different to the Wyrmian religious book.

It was about ten minutes past eleven, ten minutes behind schedule. And Molten really wasn’t sure what to do. Not much could’ve gone wrong. Right? He had got from the hotel in north Shovania to the church without running into crowds. Then again, he came from _Wyrmia_ , not Roania. And he knew Zion’s sisters wouldn’t let him fall behind schedule... Well, not by a _huge_ amount, anyway.

He glanced back to his family sitting in the front row, unease resting on his face.

“Relax,” CJ whispered beside him, He was his best man. “He wouldn’t do this purposefully.”

“I know, I know,” Molten whispered back, but his voice contradicted his words. Then the muttering was silenced. Molten looked around. The royal families of both Roania and Wyrmia had arrived; this wedding was more than a show of love between a couple, it was a sign of peace between two segregated countries. While the families settled Molten saw Kate take the jewellery box from Flame.

 _At least that’s sorted_ , CJ said to him. Molten smiled and drew in a breath.

Then the organist played _Bridal Chorus_. Molten had never felt so relieved at the sound of an organ play.

_About time!_

He saw CJ’s lips curl.

A lifetime seemed to pass as Zion walked up the aisle, Mona by his side. He wore his white suit proudly, along with his silver crown. What Molten didn’t know was coming was that Zion had taken some artistic liberties in wearing a shoulder-length veil, because same-sex weddings weren’t traditional, and that there were no rules in place.

So when he joined Molten at the alter, Molten was somewhat surprised, but he liked it.

“Hey,” Molten whispered as the Archbishop made his way out.

“Hi.”

***-*-*-***

The ceremony itself wasn’t all that long, a basic wedding ceremony, but what happened after took the more time than expected. Pictures. Goddamn pictures. The one thing Zion and Molten hated more than anything else in the world. But they had expected it, and Molten had brought his iconic shades, so there wasn’t much worry on that part. But the newlyweds still had to pose for dozens of photos, say thank you to the high lords and royal family of Wyrmia, sign autographs and had to make their way to their Rolls Royce stretch limo. The ceremony and escape route took the better part of an hour, and Molten was sure his family had escaped unscathed long before that. Well, he hoped, because they were never as keen on paparazzi either, and no fan truly knew who Molten’s family was—apart from Mona.

It took another hour to get to the reception at the hotel Molten had stayed in the night before. Most of the guests were already there, chatting away, so the couple freshened up quickly before they had to face the crowd.

The couple stood in front of the door for a moment as Molten unlocked with his key card. As soon as it was open he turned to Zion, a somewhat devilish look on his face.

“Go on,” Zion sighed. No sooner as Molten got permission, he scooped Zion up and carried him—bridal style—into the room. He then placed him down.

“So what dis hold you up?” Molten asked, checking his tie in the mirror.

Zion nudged him over a bit, so he could fix his crown and hair after removing the veil. “I got distracted by my dear sire, that and the hairdresser took forever.”

“In other words; you slept in? Or you procrastinated? Which?”

“I hate you,” he said, looking up at Molten. He looked back down at him.

“No, you don’t. Otherwise we won’t be wearing matching rings.” He smirked. Zion snorted, but his lips curled into a smile. Molten pressed his lips against Zion’s.

“I think we have some guests to see to,” Molten said.

“Ugh,” Zion groaned. “ _Fine_.” He said starting towards the door. At the last second, he picked up his veil. “Can you put it in for me?” Molten took the veil from him and slid the ‘comb’ into Zion’s hair behind his crown.

“That ok?”

Zion tapped the veil. “Yeah, I think so.” As they left the room and started down the corridor, Zion slid his hand into Molten’s. “So us your war veteran, racist, sexist grandsire gonna be here?” He asked.

Molten sighed. “Yep, but after our last encounter with him, I think he knows that today is the worst day to voice his opinions.” Zion smiled.

“But we are going to kick him out if it happens?” Molten looked at him.

He hesitated. “I... I.”

Zion laughed. “We’ll just try to enjoy today,” Zion stopped in front of Molten. “Okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” He pecked Zion’s nose. They looked at the double doors to the ballroom. They could hear the bubbling atmosphere inside. Molten walked in, still holding Zion’s hand, but didn’t go straight for the guests, instead going towards the tiny appetisers laid out on a line of tables.

“Molten!” Zion hissed.

***-*-*-***

It had been a few hours since the meal had started. Molten and Zion had escaped for a few minutes onto the jetty by the ballroom. The air near the sea was cooler than that of the city, and the sun held a warm evening-like glow almost constantly at this place in Wyrmia.

The sound of water lapping up against the wooden posts of the jetty tickled Zion’s ears as they both faced the water. Molten held his arm around Zion’s waist. He nuzzled his hair to get his attention, before spinning him around, as if they were dancing, to face him. Zion looked up at him and looked at him to say he wanted to tell him something. Molten leaned his ear close to his mouth.

“I think its time for the cake,” he said.

Molten laughed. “Yeah, I suppose so.” Zion tugged Molten back towards the ballroom.

The cake stood on its own table beside the head table where both of their families sat. One side of the cake was black with white sheet music printed on the icing, the other was white, with black speckles on the icing, to represent stars. The divide between the colours was a curve, hidden by flowers made of icing, all lined up to look like a rainbow—or as others might see it, the stereotypical pride flag. The colour either side of the cake represented the grooms’ suit, and the printed music notes and stars represented their passions.

They made their way towards the cake. They went for a piece from the divide in the cake. They went for a 5 tier cake, each tier was a Victoria sponge. Most of the room took photos or a video of them cutting it. So once they were done, they took it back with them. The waiters cut and dispersed the cake. They seemed to relax a bit.

“Just out of interest,” Lika started, “Is this an actual song or is it a random mix of notes?” She asked as she ate her piece.

“It’s an actual song,” Molten assured.

“What’s it called?” Came Sarabi.

“What was my last album called?”

Mona squealed with her mouth closed. “That’s adorable.”

Zion looked at him questioningly.

“He doesn’t know your album name?” CJ asked.

“My dear husband isn’t so keen on my mixed music style.”

Zion looked to Mona.

“The title of his album and one of his songs was called _Zion_.” She said, looking to Molten. He smiled, embarrassed.

“I had to alright?” he said at Zion’s dumbfounded face.

Mona slapped Zion on the back. “How did _you_ —” she poked his chest “—not know that?”

Zion raised his hands up in defence. “I have my taste in music!”

“He’s your fiancé-now-husband!”

Molten chuckled at the twins’ argument. Zion whipped his head around at Molten.

“Aren’t you gonna defend me?”

Molten sighed and shrugged. He turned to the DJ, who had been playing soft music in the background. He gestured for him to play their song. The DJ nodded and Molten stood up.

“C’mon,” he said, holding out his hand. Zion smiled a little and took his hand. As they walked passed Molten’s family, Molten flicked Ember’s hair, making her giggle. They walked onto the dancefloor, in between the DJ and the guests.

“Ready?” He whispered.

“As I’ll ever be.”


	26. Ch. 25 Newly Weds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zion and Molten go on their honeymoon.

There was no greater feeling than holding your partner in bed late in the morning. Especially after crashing into bed at 4 in the morning. Well, that’s what Molten thought as he cuddled with Zion. It was about noon when he woke up, but he didn’t dare open his eyes, he was just too comfortable.

Zion wasn’t. Last night they _officially bonded_. Meaning they mated in their beast forms. And let’s just say that Molten had left him rather bloated. When they got back to the hotel room—long after everyone else had gone to bed—Molten played with the bulge in Zion’s abdomen. He pecked the bulge and rubbed it and did things people do to a pregnancy bump. Which was kind of cute (and kinky)—though he wouldn’t admit to it—but he mainly found the gesture embarrassing. But Molten stayed by him as the semen _ran its course_. So that kind of made up for it.

Now, he lay in Molten’s arms, his forehead millimetres away from Molten’s lips, his breath moving his hair. He saw that the room was bright when he cracked open his eyes, but Molten’s bulk stopped the light from getting into his eyes and that was a valid enough reason to stay in bed just a little(I) longer. So he moved closer to Molten, snuggling into his chest.

“I know you’re awake,” Molten whispered.

Zion groaned. “Just a _few_ more minutes?” He begged, his eyes still shut.

“Sure, but you know it’s half-twelve, right?” molten smirked.

Zion hummed. and then it hit him. “Oh no,” he groaned.

“Yep.”

The couple had agreed that they’d _try_ to make it to brunch with their families the next day... They just hadn’t predicted how tired they be.

“We could always skip?” Zion suggested, but he knew Molten wouldn’t go along with it. Molten stayed quiet before shoving himself up. Zion groaned at the loss of heat and the bright light in his eyes.

“You know,” Molten said stretching, “you look good pregnant.”

“Fuck... off.” Zion spat, getting up. Molten chuckled, pulling on a shirt. “Well, I hate to disappoint you but we couldn’t breed if wanted to: we’re different species and we’re both males so...”

“Way to rub it in, husband-dearest,” Molten held Zion from behind, kissing his neck. “So, how do you want your shower this morning? Shared or alone?”

“Really? We’re married.” He said, taking Molten by the wrist.

***-*-*-***

“Here, on the right.” Zion pointed to the restaurant. Molten parked across the road from it; his parallel parking was perfect as always. “Why are you so good at parking? you always get it perfect.”

“Heh, I learnt from the best,” Molten said getting out.

“Your dad?” Zion questioned; Flame’s parking wasn’t as good as Molten’s—neither was his driving.

“Nope. Mam thought me to drive,” Molten said, strolling across to the restaurant.

“Really?”

“Yep. Dad taught me the basics, and the Mam made sure I was well able to pass my test.” He entered the restaurant.

It was named the _Bread Basket, and_ it lived up to its name. Right by the door there were fresh rolls and pastries, while at the back there were tables and chairs for the guests. They walked straight through to the back. To the side there was a group of tables put together. And who else would sit there other than Zion and Molten’s families, which they guessed was now one enormous family, with them being married now.

Blaze turned in his chair at the couple. “Finally. What kept you?”

***-*-*-***

“Mmm!” Zion moaned as Molten climaxed inside him. He sat straddled over Molten’s waist, gripping his scaled shoulders. He raised and lowered his hips a few more times before Molten put his arm around him and rolled over, placing Zion on the bed and removing himself from his husband. They locked in another passionate kiss. Zion ran his hands through Molten’s brunette shoulder-length hair while Molten lifted him up in between his shoulder blades. Zion gripped the back of his neck tightly as Molten kneeled on the bed, Zion’s legs still wrapped around him as they held each other tight.

Finally, they let go of each other, Zion landing softly on the soft pillows of their seaside cabin bed. Breathless, Molten lay beside him, running his hand up Zion’s smooth, short-haired torso. Cool air filled the cabin as the ocean breeze blew in softly through the open windows. A few stars appeared in the summer sunset sky. It was wonderful. 

They were in Trita, a seaside city known for its beaches of soft sand and near clear water, along with its expensive boutiques that lined almost every street in the city, in the south-eastern state of Spaonia. The couple were here mainly for their honeymoon, they just _happened_ to time their wedding around the same time as the once-every-five-years music festival: Beached Souls Music Festival. They had offered Molten a slot in the festival, but he declined on account of the wedding, though he didn’t pass up the opportunity to get some free VIP tickets that would give himself and Zion access to any of the festival’s showing. Though they wouldn’t be going to many of the shows, Zion wasn’t so keen on most of the artists and bands, but there were some he’d make an exception for.

Zion rolled onto his side, burying himself in Molten’s neck, losing himself in his mixed scent of cologne and sweat; so manly(I). Molten kissed his head and held Zion’s form. The world quiet, with only the sound of the waves hitting the shore and their silent breathing to disturb the peace. They drifted off together slowly.

They awoke to bright sun shining in through their balcony window, warming Molten’s bare back. Without realising he let out a low purr, he liked the warmth of the sun. This told Zion that Molten was awake. He jabbed a finger into his shoulder three times. He fell silent and opened his eyes just a little. Zion wriggled out from under his arm.

“And where are you going, Horse Boy?” Molten groaned, rolling over to see him walk to the bathroom. “Right,” he said to himself. He rubbed his face with his hands and ran his fingers through his hair, messing up his fringe. He sat up and looked out the balcony window. One stage on the beach was having a soundcheck before the crowds arrived. He stretched and rolled his shoulders, before lifting his head to warm his neck and torso with the sun’s warmth.

“How majestic,” Zion remarked. Molten opened an eye. “C’mon, Moltie, we have shopping to do.” He gestured to the bathroom with his head. Molten sighed and smirked.

“Fine, but we better get to chill in the hot tub tonight,” he said standing up and walking towards the shower.


	27. Ch. 26 Bundle of Joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zion and Molten finally feel mature enough to have a child. Bandit isn't so keen on the new bundle of fur.

Molten held Zion’s pale hand as they waited for their obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Davis to call them into her consultation room. Beside them sat Firestrike, who had come for emotional support. They sat in the waiting area; it was just the three of them in their human forms as the hallways were tight and Molten and Firestrike often caught their tails in the seats. It had been three years since their wedding, and Molten and Zion felt that they were ready to have a child. But to do this they had two problems; one, they were of different species and two; they needed to find a surrogate mother willing to bear the child.

Today would be Molten and Zion’s final consultation to see whether they had found an appropriate surrogate to bear the child. They had found that the best way to mix both parents’ genes was to have the child be a furdrake. This way the child would still have Zion’s family markings and could blend in with society. According to the tests the doctors had done, they were certain just about any dragoness or drakess could bear the child. After that, the couple had no more requests to make in relation to the gender or fur colour of their baby drake.

Zion looked at Molten and nudged him with his shoulder. Molten gave him a small smile and Zion smiled back. “You okay?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Molten said, squeezing Zion’s hand a little.

“There’s no harm in being nervous, Molt,” Firestrike said, nudging him with her shoulder. “It’s a big deal to get this far,” she said. “And I’m tired of being the only one out of us three with a child,” she joked. Molten chuckled.

He was about to respond when Dr Davis came out of her office, out into the waiting area. She was wearing a long, crisp, white doctor’s coat. She tied her long brunette hair up into a bun.

“Come on in,” she said. The trio stood up. Zion let out a noise of excitement as they walked into the room. Once they were inside, Molten introduced Firestrike to Dr Davis.

“It’s wonderful to meet you,” she said, shaking Firestrike’s hand fondly. “I’m glad you took ok my advice of bringing a sister and female friend along,” she said. She gestured to three leather chairs beside them. Dr Davis sat across from them behind a polished, white desk. The rest of the room wasn’t that different; white and sanitary. She glanced at her computer monitor and typed on her keyboard.

“The good news is that the embryo is ready to be implanted. But I’m afraid that we haven’t found a surrogate,” she said regretfully. Zion’s face dropped, Molten sighed sorrowly. Firestrike looked to them both sympathetically.

“Is it because of us being different species?” Molten implored. Dr Davis glanced down.

“I’m afraid so. They’re just worried about the effects for both their own health and the unborn child’s,” she explained. Molten nodded silently; he understood their worries, and they had every right to not want to bear the child—even if doctors had already made sure the child could be carried to term without risking the mother’s health.

Firestrike listened carefully to what the doctor was saying. “What if I carried the child?” She asked, more towards Dr Davis than Molten and Zion. Molten turned to her.

“Strike, I couldn’t ask you to do that—“

“— _We_ couldn’t ask you to do that,” Zion corrected.

“I want to,” Firestrike insisted. She placed a hand on Molten’s wrist. “You were there for me when was expecting Ember, let me do this for you.” Molten glanced aside. “What do I need to do to be their surrogate?” She asked Dr Davis.

“I’ll get you in touch with a surrogacy agent—to keep this a legal as possible—and then we’ll work from there. I’d have to conduct some tests and such, and the surrogacy agents would make everything clear about what will happen and then it’s up to you on whether you still want to be the child’s surrogate mother,” Dr Davis explained. She gave Firestrike a brief rundown on what would happen. Molten, Zion and Firestrike left her consultation room with an abundance of leaflets and booklets, so Firestrike would have plenty of reading material.

As they walked out to their cars Molten turned to his sister.

“You really don’t have to do this, I’m sure we’ll—“

“I’ve told you already, Molten; I _want_ to do this. And if I change my mind, I know you won’t be mad,” she unlocked her navy blue, Volkwagon Golf. “I really do want to do this, you’ve helped me like no one else has.”

“But I wasn’t always there for you,” he looked up at her.

“You had to finish school so you could get a better job to help pay for the nursery. You—a sixteen-year-old—had that all figured out so you could renovate a room that was going to be yours so that your niece and goddaughter could have a nice nursery,” she reminded him. “I want to do this,” she repeated before opening her car door. Molten pulled her into a hug, though the car door still separated them.

“Thank you, Strike,” he said. “But what about CJ, shouldn’t he have a say in this?”

Firestrike sat into her car. “Maybe, but it’s not his body—it’s mine.” She grinned and closed the door. Molten stepped out her way.

“Let’s just hope it all goes well,” he mused to himself.

***-*-*-***

The IVF treatment was a success. Firestrike was pregnant with Molten and Zion’s baby. They would visit her as often as possible—usually a few times a week. They’d bring her Chocomantic bubble chocolate and her main craving—canned Fanta Orange. Firestrike enjoyed the time they spent with her and insisted that they didn’t need to bring the chocolate and soft drinks—even though she was grateful for them and physically needed them—this baby was demanding. They would often ask to feel the bump and talk to it, so the baby would get used to their voices—they really had been thinking about what would happen during the pregnancy and wanted to be involved. Most of the time her answer was _yes_ , though there were a few times where she didn’t want anyone touching her, and although it took Zion and Molten by surprise, they didn’t convince or guilt-trip her; it was her body, and they were thankful for what she was doing for them.

Zion was shyer than Molten with touching her bump. So shy that whenever he was over with her alone, he never asked, he’d just awkwardly look at the bump, longing to touch it. And so, Firestrike would have to take his hand and place it on her bump. The gesture was awkward, but it meant he wouldn’t feel regretful when he left her and CJ’s bungalow.

Ember was also looking forward to the baby arriving. She was now 11 and was starting to not be so mesmerised by Zion’s magic tricks, though she still enjoyed them. She understood that this baby would not be her sibling, but her cousin—but she hoped it was a girl. After hearing that the baby could hear things from outside the womb, she had read the baby stories and speak to the bump, though it wasn’t until the fourth month Ember got a response from the baby with a lively kick. Ember laughed when her mum jumped in surprise because that was the first time she had felt movement from the baby.

With this new revelation, she quickly told Molten. It was an understatement to say he was happy about the news. He and Zion promised to visit Firestrike soon; they were away on a couple’s retreat. They came to visit that weekend, bringing their usual gifts of Fanta and Chocomantic. They talked about their trip for a bit, which was a week away in Trita, before getting down to business. Molten wanted to try something he used to do when Firestrike was pregnant with Ember.

Molten knelt in front of Firestrike, his hands on her bump. “That okay?” He asked. Firestrike nodded. Molten focused and his marking glowed. He focused his energy on his hands, getting his palms to glow. A few moments later, he felt a throb against his hand. Firestrike jumped in surprise.

“There it is,” Firestrike said. The baby kicked a few more times. She took Zion’s hand and rested it near where the kicking was. All three shared a bright smile. Zion’s stood out a little more, as he had never felt a baby kick before in its mother’s womb. Molten looked at Zion; it had been a long time since he had seen that smile.

Molten tried resting his head on the bump, trying to hear a heartbeat without an ultrasound, though he heard nothing.

“It’s _way_ to soon for that, Molten,” Firestrike said.

“I know, I know,” Molten said. He rested his forehead against the bump. “Hey, little one,” he started.

“Could... we use the Doppler?” Zion asked shyly as Molten stayed talking to the bump.

Firestrike smiled. “I’ll go get it, I’ve been getting some promising results so far,” she said. She tapped Molten’s hand. He looked at her and got back onto the couch as she stood up.

Molten and Zion sat close together on the couch. Firestrike returned with the pink and white Doppler in hand. She sat on the couch, Zion held Molten’s hand, resting his chin on his shoulder. Firestrike lifted her shirt so her scaled stomach was bare. The wand glided over her bump as she tried to find the spot where she heard the heartbeat last. After a few moments of searching, they heard it. The heartbeat sounded like a galloping horse—literally; it was fast and never faltered. Molten and Zion smiled to each other. They had heard the heartbeat many times before, but this was the first time they had heard it in the comfort of themselves—without a doctor also being there. They listened to the baby’s heartbeat for a few more minutes.

Firestrike put the Doppler away. “I want to talk to you two about something,” she said, pulling back down her shirt.

Molten and Zion looked to each other and sat up. “Go on,” Molten said, worried it was their constant visits or how touchy they were with her bump.

“It’s nothing serious, relax,” she said, noticing the worry on their faces. “I was wondering whether you two were going to find out the gender of sprog,” she asked, referring to the name she had given her bump.

“Eh... No, we don’t think we will,” Molten responded.

“We want it to be a surprise,” Zion continued.

Firestrike nodded. “Then what about names?” They looked at each other.

“Well, we were thinking, Zuma for a boy—,” Zion said.

“—And Mizu for a girl,” Molten continued. Zion turned to him sharply. Firestrike raised a brow.

“Or Lume,” Zion said, looking back at Firestrike.

“As in, Molten’s favourite musician and role-model from when he was a teenager?” Firestrike questioned.

“She still _is_ my favourite musician,” Molten retorted.

Firestrike nodded. “I like it. I prefer it to Mizu anyway,” she said.

***-*-*-***

Firestrike gripped Molten’s hand as he looked down at the midwife at the end of Firestrike’s bed. The contractions were now a minute apart, and the midwife looked concerned. Sweat poured down Firestrike’s face as the contraction kept going. Her hold on Molten’s hand tightened. The midwife looked to Dr Davis, who had only arrived into the room a few minutes prior after delivering another baby down the hall.

Firestrike had been in the hospital for quite a few hours now. Molten had guessed it was at least five hours. It had been a case where both he and Zion had gotten a phone call in the middle of the night from CJ with news that Firestrike’s waters had broke. And the rest was a blur of driving and jogging down hallways. There was a window behind Molten which let him guess what time it was, and the hot June sun had risen about an hour ago.

He grabbed a cool cloth from beside him and wiped away the sweat from Firestrike’s forehead. It was only him, her, the midwife and Dr Davis for both Firestrike’s comfort and Zion’s. She really didn’t feel comfortable with her brother’s husband in the room and Zion didn’t like blood, so that was the end of that dispute. Also, the fact and Molten had been there for Ember’s birth made Firestrike a lot more comfortable in his presence.

There was some muttering between the midwife and the doctor when the contraction ended. Firestrike’s grip on Molten’s hand relaxed, and she brought her breathing back to a normal pace.

“You’re doing really well,” Molten whispered awkwardly, and his more natural colour of blue returned to his hand.

“Oh, shut up, nothings happened yet,” Firestrike said. She noticed the concerned looks on the doctors’ faces. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Dr Davis came over to her. “Your contractions are close together, but you haven’t reached ten centimetres,” she said.

“So, what does that mean?” Molten asked he was worried about what this meant for Firestrike and the baby. Had a ten-month pregnancy been for nothing? Were they going to lose it all?

Molten panicked quietly.

“It means we must perform a cesarian section,” Dr Davis said, more towards Firestrike.

“Is the baby ok?” She asked.

“The baby’s fine, it just hasn’t moved into the right position to leave the womb yet,” the doctor continued. She left the room swiftly, to prepare the surgeons required for the procedure.

***-*-*-***

Zion held the baby furdrake in his arms. She had been born the day before, and he and Molten had been keeping a close eye of her and Firestrike. She had spent the night with Firestrike, per the couple’s request. They were lucky enough to be in a room with only two other newborn dragonlings and their parents.

She had Zion’s coat colour and eyes, with fair hair and his family’s markings on her back. She had a sky blue fin at the end of her tail similar to Molten’s. She was dressed in a soft yellow romper. She was more awake today, looking at her father with bright eyes and a wavering tail that afternoon.

Most of Molten’s family had met the little bundle, apart from Blaze, who was away on a business trip. She would meet Zion’s side of the family in a few days at a small family gathering in a hotel nearby.

“She seems happy to have one of her dads here,” Firestrike said. She half-sat on her bed, scrolling through her phone. Molten was still at the DRDR studio, the radio was playing in the background.

The dragonling sucked on her thumb, much like Molten sometimes did in his sleep, as they had seen her do in many of the ultrasounds. With the same hand, she gripped Zion’s finger.

Zion smiled. “I guess. And I’m sure he and CJ will make a game out of getting here first.” Firestrike laughed. He was right.

It was another ten minutes of baby talking to the dragonling and discussing a little of what to expect from her in the next few weeks before Molten arrived. He kissed Zion on the head and gave Firestrike a hug before looking at the white bundle of fur in Zion’s arms.

“Hello, little one,” he said babyishly and pecked her on the forehead. He pulled up a seat. “How have you been since this morning?” Molten asked Firestrike.

“Fine, though something has been troubling me...”

Molten looked to Zion, concerned. “What?”

“What are you going to name her?” She asked, reaching over to stroke her short fair locks.

“Well—“

“—Lume. We’re calling her Lume,” Zion interrupted. A smile grew on Molten’s face. She did look a lot likes his role-model, only baby-sized and natural-looking hair that wasn’t dyed to look like candyfloss.

“Thank the Gods,” Firestrike swore under her breath, “because I wasn’t having a niece called Mizu. She doesn’t even look like a Mizu.”

After another day in the hospital, they discharged Lume. Molten and Zion brought her home. It confused bandit what this other bundle of fur was and why it was in his house. The Ragdoll cat took a quick sniff of the removable car seat and bolted before Lume could reach for him.

They then brought her up to one of the spare bedrooms, which was now a nursery that was painted a pale yellow with a matching white cot, drawers and changing table. But she wouldn’t be sleeping here for the next few weeks, she’d be sleeping in a small travel cot by the side of her parents’ bed.

Lume liked to grip her fathers’ finger as they held or fed her. Zion had also found an old terrier dog teddy that was Molten’s. It was scruffy and easy to hold. Molten hadn’t the heart to ever get rid of the toy. After washing it, he gave it to Lume after she went down for a nap. When he went back to check on her, her little white hand was wrapped around one of the front legs of the teddy.

One thing both parents had noticed whenever they came back home, was the unfamiliar smell in their home, the smell of a newborn baby. It was a unique smell and was hard to describe, but once you drew in its scent, you knew what it was. Another thing they had noticed was that Bandit’s hostile-ness didn’t last long. If Lume was in her baby bouncer, he’d sometimes ‘check her out’. Whenever either Zion or Molten was lounging in their sitting room, bouncing her with his foot, and wasn’t paying attention, he’d slither on up and give her a sniff. Lume would usually tap him or let out a sound of curiosity before he’d saunter away again.

Bedtime was an easy enough process, and they learnt it on the first night. Usually Molten would have argued with cradling a child until they fell asleep—because it seemed cruel to have them stay awake for so long, but he went with it just this once. Lume fell asleep in his arms at around seven-ish on the first night. Molten and Zion waited for just a couple of minutes more before bringing her upstairs. They laid her in the small travel cot by their bed. She let out a small moan as her body touched the small mattress. Molten brought up her blanket to fit snuggly under her chin. Her tiny chest rose and fell smoothly as she slept. She lifted her tiny fists above her head—which really meant she was out for the night. She was just so tiny. Neither Molten nor Zion could get over it.

Molten looked to Zion, who sat on the bed beside him. “I love you,” he whispered, leaning in close and sharing a sweet kiss with his husband.

“I love you, too.”


	28. Ch. 27 The End of the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molten and Zion wake up and realise that their world hasn't changed and that they have never met...

Zion woke up slowly. He felt like he had slept for a week; his head was light, and he felt more refreshed than ever before as a breeze blew on his face through the open balcony door. He raised a hand over his face and cracked open his eyes as the mid-morning sun shone in through the transparent net curtain in front of the glass doors. He blinked twice, confused.

He was in his room in the Askal Castle. But he did not understand how he got there. He propped himself up on his elbows, looking around, before looking at who lay in his bed; one of his ‘bed buddies’. A bay Pegasus lay beside him, laying on his stomach, snoozing quietly.

“What the _fuck_?” Zion muttered, holding his hand to his forehead. He sat on the edge of the bed, his silk sheets still covering his bare legs as he rubbed his face.

_Molten._

That was all that was going through his mind. He had felt like he had lived a lifetime with the drake... But where was he? He remembered nothing about coming to the castle. He reached across to his bedside table, picking up his silver, latest model phone from its wireless charging station. He pressed the ‘on/off’ button. His lock screen showed his usual background of the Roanian flag. And then he saw the date; 26 June. He briefly remembered looking at his calendar the day of his and Molten’s wedding, and according to his phone, that year was three years.

Zion felt his head get even lighter, he felt dizzy. He unlocked his phone and scrolled through his contacts; no Molten and none of Molten’s family were in his contacts list. He put his phone down again and looked at his hands. No rings. No pale sapphire engagement ring, no silver and gold wedding ring. He breathed out through closed lips.

He thought hard. Long and hard. Trying to figure it all out. He felt like he had lost part of himself by not waking up to have the drake by his side.

And then it hit him.

“It was a dream.”

***-*-*-***

Molten groaned to himself as sunlight shone into his eyes. His head was throbbing from a hangover as he prolonged opening his eyes. Eventually, the heat of the sun irritated him enough to open his eyes. He stretched as he looked around. He was in his old bedroom; in the cottage he was supposed to have moved out of a few years ago. He rubbed his eyes and pinched the scales on his bare forearm; he was awake.

He forced himself up. He winced, thinking was hard with his hangover clouding his mind so he was pretty fucking confused. He sat on the edge of his bed, leaning on his knees. Immediately he saw there was no ring on his finger. He felt his horns; they were bare. He drew in a slow breath through his nose, trying to smell the air. There was no scent of a newborn lingering in the air.

_Zion._

Where was he?

Molten reached for his phone. He pressed the ‘on/off’ button only to realise the battery was flat. He plugged his phone in quickly and waited for his lock screen to flash on. It felt like the longest minute of his life.

He saw the date on his phone. “Three years?” He questioned. “How?” He unlocked his phone as a dragoness with taffy scales and small wings entered the room. She was about Molten’s age, with smudged make-up and dressed in a cyan party dress.

“Hey, Bethany,” Molten said wearily, pushing aside the Zion ‘thing’ for now. Bethany looked at the ground, swayed from side-to-side.

“Moltie? Can I have some cash to get a cab home?” She asked, playing with her finger. Molten picked up his jeans from the night before and grabbed a twenty credit note from his wallet.

“That should be enough, right?” He asked, handing it the blue paper note. Bethany nodded, took the money and grabbed her high-heeled shoes on the way out. Molten Ross to his feet as she left, he walked into his bathroom at looked straight at himself, trying to remember everything he could as she searched through his phone.

“It wasn’t real?” He looked around the room. “It was a dream.”

***-*-*-***

As soon as his ‘bed buddy’ woke, Zion rushed him out the door. And not long after, he left the room, dressed in a crisp shirt and jeans. According to his dream, he had had an argument with sire before meeting Molten. Yes, he had never come out to his sire, but he didn’t want that to happen, not in this reality.

He motioned down the hallway. With any luck, he might have Mona accompany him to talk with their sire.

“Zion,” came his sire’s voice. He turned around.

“Father,” he greeted, pushing aside his thoughts. Arryn put a hand on Zion’s shoulder.

“Come with me,” he said. He brought Zion down to the library, which was now the games room of the castle, which was on the ground floor. Zion hadn’t been down here for years, alone anyway. Especially since most of his memories here were with his dam—she was an avid reader and loved the stars.

She used to keep her favourite books in one corner, way down the back, behind the once tall oak bookshelves. Zion put all his favourite books there too. It was the only part of the library that remained. Arryn brought Zion to that corner. There were two large chairs in that corner, a rocking chair and a solid oak chair. Zion remembered when his dam would sit in the rocking chair, cradling Kate or Sarabi as she read one of her books.

He swallowed hard. “Father, why have you brought me here?” He looked at the ground.

“You remind me so much of her, Zion,” Arryn replied. He motioned back towards the more modern part of the room, towards the red velvet couch and theatre screen. “So much.” He sat on the couch before gesturing Zion to sit with him. Zion did so.

“So, what have you been meaning to tell me?” Arryn said, getting straight to the point. Zion drew in a breath; this was so much harder than coming out to his sisters.

“I think I met my soulmate in my dreams,” he blurted. He held his head in his hands.

Arryn cocked a brow. “No one has experienced that in quite some time,” he noted. “Are you sure?”

“I lived so much of my life last night. Besides, why else would I dream about falling in love with a dragon?”

***-*-*-***

Molten strode through the forest. But this time there had been no argument at home, nor was he wandering as he had in his dream. His family was about twenty paces behind him, well most of them—someone had to stay with Ember and Blaze didn’t believe what Molten said.

He had gone through his tale in great detail, so it was convincing. He had heard of people dreaming for their soulmates, but it had only ever been about their first meeting or their wedding or something like that. He settled that if today was the day he met his chosen one, his soulmate, he wanted his family to be there to make sure it wasn’t a dream this time.

He could see something ahead, some white, thin figure. He moved closer, fixing his hoodie a little as he strode forward.

***

Zion heard someone comes closer. He saw Mona, his twin, give him two thumbs up. She was as excited as he was, giggling and smiling as they trespassed into Wyrmia. She was a sucker for romantic stories.

Zion smiled. His sire had insisted on all of them to come. This could be a historic moment for Wyrmia and Roania, so why miss it?

Zion relaxed with a deep breath and turned around. His icy blue eyes met Molten’s sky-blue eyes, rendering them both motionless. They felt like they had known each other their entire lives as they stared at each other. Their hearts raced as they wondered what to say.

Finally, Molten spoke. “Zion?”

“Molten,” Zion answered, his lips lifting into a smile. They didn’t realise it, but they were getting slowly closer, until Molten wrapped his arms and Zion, sweeping him closer to him. Zion held him back, burying his face in his hoodie. Molten drew in Zion’s sweet scent as he held him, rubbing the back of his hoodie. They separated gently until Molten saw Zion’s sisters.

“Mine also came along,” Molten whispered to Zion. He looked behind Molten.

“No, Ember?” He asked. Molten was a little taken aback, but it was a shared dream. He shook his head. Molten took Zion’s hands in his and ran his thumbs over the soft fur of his hands. Zion smiled at him and pecked him on the lips, Molten kissed him back for a longer-lasting kiss.

“I don’t suppose we could trade hoodies? Just until we meet again,” Zion suggested after they broke away, already trying to lift Molten’s off. Molten raised a brow but took off the hoodie. Zion held the hoodie in a bundle in his arms. He handed his own to Molten and slipped on his. It was quite a few sizes too big, but he expected it with the size difference between the two. Sleeves flopped passed his hands, and it ended near his knees—he loved it.

He smiled brightly and started back towards his family before turning back around to Molten, who led his small hoodie in his hands, feeling how soft it was. Zion jumped into his arms. Molten held him easily as he straddled him and they shared a sweet, long passionate kiss. Zion broke away and strode off, leaving Molten in the clearing. They smiled to themselves.

_This is where it all begins._


End file.
